OK    THK 

Theological    Seminary, 

PRINCETON,     N.  J. 


Case 

Shelf 

Booh 


BX    955    .H56    1834    c.l 


A  history  of  popery 


A     DONATION 


HISTORY  OF    POPERY, 


INCLUDING   ITS 


ORIGIN,   PROGRESS,  DOCTRINES,  PRACTICE, 
INSTITUTIONS,   AND   FRUITS, 


TO   THE 


COMMENCEMENT    OF    THE    NINETEENTH    CENTURY. 


BY     A    WATCHMAN. 


"  I  have  set  watchmen  upon  thy  walls,  0  Jerusalem,  which  shall  never  hold  their 
peace  day  nor  night."— Isa.  Ixii.  6. 


WITH  AN  INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY, 
BY  SAMUEL  MILLER,  D.  D., 

Professor  of  Ecclesiastical  History  and  Ch.  Government  in  llie  Tiieological  Seminary  at  Princeton,  N.  J. 


NEW  YORK: 
PUBLISHED  BY  JOHN  P.  HAVEN,  148  NASSAU  ST. 

1834. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  m  the  year  1834, 

By  John  P.  Haven, 

in  the  Office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  Southern  District  of  New  Vork. 


THOMAS  GEORGE,  JR.  PRINTER. 


CONTE  NTS. 


Introductory  Essay, Page  3 

Author's  Preface, 18 

SECTION  I. 

The  Origin  of  Popery, 25 

SECTION  II. 

Events  preceding,  and  contributing  to,  the  rise  of  Po- 
pery,               35 

SECTION  III. 

An  examination  of  the  popish  argument  in  support  of 

the  supremacy,  &c.  of  the  bishop  of  Rome,     .    .        44 

SECTION  IV. 

Examination  of  historical  testimony  relative  to  the 
supremacy  of  the  bishop  of  Rome,  during  the  first 
six  centuries,       . 50 

SECTION  V. 

The  progress  of  Popery  during  the  twelve  centuries 

succeeding  its  rise,       60 

SECTION  VI. 

Doctrines  of  Popery, 153 

1* 


CONTENTS. 

SECTION  VII. 
Idolatry  of  Popery, 236 

SECTION  VIII. 
Persecutions  of  Popery, 277 

SECTION  IX. 
Superstitions  of  Popery, 336 

SECTION  X. 
Prophetic  views  of  Popery  from  the  scriptures,       .    .      404 

SECTION  XL 
Moral  influence  of  Popery, 411 

Conclusion, 415 


11. 0 

I  N  T  R  0  D  U  C  T  O  R  Y  ,E  S  ai.T. 


"  -».s\i^.: 


The  Popish  controversy  has  lately  assumed  an  aspect 
in  our  country  which  must  render  it  deeply  interesting  to 
every  sincere  and  intelligent  Christian.     Ten  years  ago, 
the  revival  of  this  controversy,  as  an  object  of  general 
attention,  and  of  zealous  effort,  would  have  appeared  un- 
reasonable, if  not  liable  to  the  charge  of  something  ap- 
proaching to  persecution.     At  that  time,  the  adherents  of 
the  "  Man  of  Sin,"  being  regarded  as  not  more  than  a 
fortieth  or  fiftieth  part  of  our  population,  and  maintaining 
generally  that  silent  and  inoffensive  course  which  might 
have  been  expected  in  the  nineteenth  century,  on  the  part 
of  a  small  minority,  who  at  once  respected  their  own 
claims,  and  remembered  what  was  due,  in  a  free  country,  to 
the  claims  and  the  influence  of  a  predominant  Protestant 
community,  gave  little  occasion  for  public  animadversion. 
Of  late,  however,  the   aspect  of  things   is   not  a   little 
changed.     The  native  and  well  known  spirit  of  their 
sect  is  beginning  with  more  distinctness  to  disclose  it- 
self.    Feeling  their  body  strengthened  by  large  emigra- 
tions from  the  old  world  ;  enabled,  by  rich  pecuniary  con- 
tributions from  various  foreign  sources,  to  multiply  and 
invigorate  their  sectarian    establishments ;    having   re- 
ceived, with  their  recent  importations,  a  considerable  in- 
crease of  that  vulgar  ferocity  which  might  have  been  an- 
ticipated from  the  character  of  those  importations,  and 
imagining  that  the  time  had  come  when  they  needed 
nothing  but  a  public  controversy,  and  a  confident  tone,  to 
ensure  their  triumph  ;  they  have  lately  assumed  an  atti- 
tude, and  indulged  in  a  language  to  which  we  have  not 


4  INTRODUCTORY    ESSAY. 

hitherto  been  accustomed ;  and  have  even  ventured,  in 
some  memorable  instances,  after  inviting  discussion,  to 
meet  dignified  and  irresistible  argument,  with  insolent 
threats  or  with  brutal  violence. 

In  these  circumstances, — when  the  old  and  well  known 
claims  of  these  children  of  "  Anti-christ"  have  been 
ufged  with  more  than  wonted  noise  and  offensiveness  ; 
when  Protestants  have  been  assailed,  and  challenged  in 
a  manner  which  indicated  a  fixed  purpose,  and  the  largest 
hopes,  of  encroachment  on  their  ranks  by  proselytism  ;— 
it  surely  became  a  duty  to  show  that  the  "  faith  once  de- 
livered to  the  saints"  had  friends  willing  and  able  to 
stand  forth  in  her  defence.  The  controversy,  as  it  ex- 
ists in  the  United  States,  originated  with  the  Romanists. 
It  is  of  their  own  seeking.  It  ought,  however,  to  be 
iliatter  of  joy,  not  of  regret.  These  votaries  of  the 
"  mystery  of  iniquity"  have  provoked  Protestants  to  do 
what  ought  to  have  been  done  before.  They  have  been 
met  with  a  spirit  and  a  force  of  argument  truly  gratify- 
ing to  the  friends  of  apostolic  purity.  But  there  is  yet 
room  for  much  more  to  be  written  and  published.  The 
battle,  as  I  take  it,  is  but  just  begun.  And  now  that 
Protestants  have  been  compelled,  in  fidelity  to  their  mas- 
ter in  heaven,  to  gird  on  their  armour,  and  to  lift  the  wea- 
potis  of  consecrated  warfare  ;  I  trust  they  will  never  be 
laid  aside,  until  every  family  and  individual  in  our  land 
shall  be  distinctly  put  on  their  guard  against  the  charac- 
ter and  design  of  these  foes  of  God  and  man.  It  is  earn- 
estly to  be  hoped,  however,  that  all  who  enter  the  lists 
in  this  warfare  will  be  careful  with  respect  to  the  wea- 
pons which  they  employ.  Our  weapons  must  not,  like 
theirs,  be  *'  carnal,"  but  '•  spiritual."  These  alone  will 
be  "  mighty  through  God  to  the  pulling  down  of  strong 


INTRODUCTORY    ESSAY. 


holds."  It  was,  therefore,  with  pleasure  I  learned  that 
the  author  of  the  present  volume  intended  to  give  a  com- 
pendious view  of  the  '' History  of  Popery y  The  truth 
is,  the  simple  disclosure  of  facts  is  all  that  is  necessary 
in  this  case.  He  who  brings  the  corruptions  of  the  Pa- 
pacy to  the  test  of  God's  unerring  word,  and  presents  a 
dispassionate  and  unvarnished  history  of  their  rise, 
progress,  and  practical  influence,  cannot  fail  of  con- 
vincing candid  and  intelligent  minds  of  their  pestiferous 
character.  All  we  Avant,  under  God,  to  eflect  the  over- 
throw of  this  enormous  mass  of  error  and  superstition  is 
LIGHT.  Let  light  pervade  our  land; — let  the  Bible 
and  the  Sabbath  School  be  placed  within  the  reach  of 
every  adult  and  every  child  in  the  United  States  ; — let 
compends  of  instruction  in  reference  to  the  Papacy  be 
every  where  circulated ; — and  let  the  watchmen  on  the 
walls  of  Zion,  in  the  spirit  of  their  Master,  faithfully  in- 
struct and  warn  ; — and  all  will  be  well.  It  is  only 
where  gross  ignorance,  sensuality,  and  a  willingness  to 
be  hoodwinked  and  deceived  reign,  that  the  Papacy  can 
retain  its  power. 

It  is  deeply  to  be  deplored  that  the  importance  of  suit- 
able attention  to  this  controversy  is  not  more  justly  ap- 
preciated by  the  mass  of  our  Protestant  community. 
There  are  multitudes  who  think  that  there  is  not  the 
least  danger  of  the  religion  of  the  church  oi  Rome  gain- 
ing ground  in  our  country ;  and,  of  course,  that  all  ef- 
forts to  prevent  this  mischief  are  unnecessary.  Such 
persons  forget  that,  although  the  system  of  Popery  is 
directly  opposed  to  enlightened  reason,  and  to  the  word 
of  God,  it  presents  very  strong  attractions  to  all  those 
who  are  more  fond  of  a  splendid  and  gaudy  ritual,  than 
of  a  self-denying  and   spiritual  religion.     They  forget 


d  INTRODUCTORY    ESSAY. 

that  this  system  of  miserable  superstition  has  been,  in  all 
a.g^s,  the  favorite  resort  of  those  who  wish  to  bear  the 
Christian  name,  and  to  cherish  a  hope  of  acceptance  wdth 
God,  without  the  sacrifice  of  a  single  lust.  They  forget 
that  the  plan  of  salvation  revealed  in  the  Gospel  is  of  all 
proposals  the  most  revolting  to  the  proud  heart  of  fallen 
man.  They  forget  that  the  impenitent  sinner  is  willing 
to  undergo  the  heaviest  drudgery  of  rites  and  ceremonies  ; 
to  fast ;  to  scourge  and  lacerate  his  body  ;  to  pay  money ; 
to  submit  to  any  prescribed  penance  or  privation  for  a 
short  time  ;  if  by  these  means  he  may  be  certain  of  gain- 
ing the  heavenly  paradise.  These  he  may  be,  and  often 
is  willing  to  give  for  such  an  assurance.  But  to  give 
his  heart  to  God ;  to  deny  himself ;  to  renounce  his  own 
righteousness  in  every  form ;  to  "  crucify  the  flesh  with 
the  affections  and  lusts  ;"  to  follow  the  Saviour  as  his 
Prophet,  Priest  and  King ;  as  the  Lord  his  righteous- 
ness, and  the  Lord  his  strength ;  as  his  justifier,  his  mo- 
del, his  life,  his  all ; — this  he  is  not  prepared  to  do,  and 
cannot  yield. 

*'  Now  to  relieve  this  proud  and  impenitent  mind — 
which  is  the  mind  of  all  men  by  nature — the  Roman 
Catholic  system  comes  with  promises  and  allurements 
of  the  most  fascinating  kind.  It  meets  him  with  a  scheme 
of  most  ingenious  contrivances  for  satisfying  every  doubt, 
and  removing  every  difficulty, — without  any  real  holi- 
ness either  of  heart  or  life.  It  assures  him,  that  if  he 
live  and  die  in  communion  with  the  Church  of  Rome,  he 
is,  of  course,  in  real  covenant  and  communion  with 
Christ : — that  there  is  no  need  of  any  radical  change  of 
heart,  provided  he  will  submit  to  the  dictation  and  disci- 
pline of  the  constituted  authorities  of  that  Church  : — that 
by  the  sacrament  of  Baptism,  a  priest  can  regenerate 


INTRODUCTORY    ESSAY.  1 

him,  and  that  no  other  change  than  that  which  Baptism 
includes,  need  be  sought  or  expected  : — that  by  this  bap- 
tism, when  regularly  administered,  all  his  sins  are  taken 
away,  and  he  reconciled  to  God  : — that  by  a  regular  at- 
tendance on  the  sacrament  of  Penance,  all  his  sins  com- 
mitted, from  time  to  time,  after  baptism,  may  be  cer- 
tainly forgiven  : — and  that  by  a  regular  confession  and 
absolution  during  life,  and  the  reception  of  Extreme 
Unction  when  he  comes  to  die,  he  may  be  assured  of 
everlasting  happiness  : — or  that,  at  the  worst,  he  will 
only  be  detained  for  a  time  in  Purgatory ;  which,  how- 
ever, will  be  made  as  short  and  light  as  possible,  if  he 
bequeath  a  handsome  sum  to  the  Church  ;  or  if  his  sur- 
viving friends  shall  pay  liberally  for  the  prayers  that 
may  be  said,  and  the  masses  that  may  be  performed  for 
his  soul." 

"  According  to  this  delusive  system,  then,  a  man  may 
live  and  die  without  any  real  holiness,  and  yet,  in  spite 
of  all  the  scripture  has  so  solemnly  pronounced  to  the 
contrary,  may  be  certain  of  seeing  the  Lord  in  peace. 
He  need  not  trouble  himself  to  read  the  Scriptures.  The 
Church  reads,  judges,  and  engages  for  him.  The  Church 
has  a  stock  of  merit  to  dispose  of,  which,  upon  being  pro- 
perly paid  for,  she  can  set  down  to  his  account,  and 
make  available  to  his  acceptance.  So  that,  however  mul- 
tiplied and  enormous  his  sins,  and  however  obstinately 
and  impenitently  persisted  in,  to  the  last  hour  of  his  life  ; 
still  if  he  submit  to  all  the  rites  of  the  Church,  and  to  all 
the  penances  imposed  on  him  by  the  proper  authority ; — 
he  is  certainly  safe  ;  certainly  secure  of  salvation.  Su(^ 
is  the  openly  published  and  miserable  system  of  these 
soul-destroying  deceivers.  In  support  of  all  these  state- 
ments, testimony  of  the  most  unequivocal  kind  might  be 


O  INTRODUCTORY    ESSAY. 

adduced  from  Romish  authorities  of  the  highest  charac- 
ter. We  are  aware,  indeed,  that  most  of  the  allegations 
above  stated,  have  been  either  denied,  or  attempted  to  be 
explained  away  by  ingenious  apologists  for  Romish 
claims  : — but  we  are  very  sure  that,  when  the  whole 
system,  taken  together,  is  compared  with  its  highest  offi- 
cial vouchers,  our  representation  will  be  completely  borne 
out  in  every  particular."* 

In  adopting  the  above  quotation,  as  descriptive  of  the 
system  of  Romanism,  no  injustice  is  done  to  that  system  or 
its  adherents.  It  is  true,  indeed,  as  the  writer  intimates, 
that  several  of  the  articles  specified,  are  either  wholly 
disowned,  or  artfully  glossed  over  by  ingenious  Popish 
advocates,  who  wish  to  conciliate.  But  for  every  part  of 
the  statement,  it  is  certain  that  high  Romish  authorities 
may  be  quoted ;  and  when  we  go  among  the  mass  of  the 
adherents  to  the  Papacy,  and  examine  the  principles  and 
confidence  which  they  clierish,  and  which  they  are  dis- 
tinctly encouraged  to  cherish,  facts  are  disclosed,  on 
every  side,  which  abundantly  sustain  the  foregoing  state- 
ment in  all  its  extent.  In  fact,  the  whole  system  of  the 
Church  of  Rome  consists  in  putting  a  set  of  deified  saints, 
and  deified  ceremonies  in  the  place  of  Christ,  as  the 
ground  of  hope,  while  He  is  only  nominally  retained  as 
the  Saviour  ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  presenting  their 
miserable  idolatry  in  such  language,  and  clothing  it  in 
such  an  attractive,  and  even  bewitching  dress,  that  it 
bears  away  the  ignorant  and  the  unsuspecting  with 
scarcely  a  thought  of  resistance. 

^   Is  there  no  danger  then,  that  this  plausible,  splendid, 

self-righteous  system,  so  admirably  adapted  to  dazzle  and 

to  captivate  ; — is  there  no  danger  that  it  will  deceive  and 

*  Biblical  Repertory^  vol.  v.  p.  504,  505. 


INTRODUCTORY    ESSAY.  9 

lead  away  unwary  souls  ?  So  far  is  this  from  being  the 
case,  that  we  may  say  with  confidence,  the  danger  is  im- 
minent. It  is  precisely  that  form  of  religious  observance 
which  best  agrees  with  the  proud,  selfish  and  sensual 
nature  of  man.  It  has  charms  for  the  voluptuous,  the 
gay,  the  dissipated  and  the  worldly  which  scarcely  any 
thing  earthly  can  resist.  It  has  exactly  that  to  offer 
which  the  "  carnal  mind,  which  is  enmity  against  God," 
will  ever  be  found,  while  it  remains  such,  to  prefer  to  the 
pure,  humbling,  self-renouncing,  and  self-sacrificing  plan 
of  salvation  through  a  crucified  Redeemer  ; — in  one 
word,  to  the  '*  simplicity  that  is  in  Christ."  Truly  in- 
stead of  considering  it  as  wonderful  that,  in  a  Protestant 
land,  and  in  the  nineteenth  century,  proselytes  to  the  Pa- 
pacy are  made,  we  ought  rather  to  regard  it  as  wonder- 
ful that  they  are  not  tenfold  more  numerous  than  we  find 
them. 

Can  any  enlightened  Protestant,  then,  suppose  that 
there  is  no  need  of  putting  his  children  and  the  commu- 
nity at  large,  on  their  guard  against  this  most  profligate, 
and  at  the  same  time  most  insinuating  and  delusive  of 
all  the  systems  of  error  which  bear  the  Christian  name  ? 
When  the  Papists  are  flooding  our  country  with  their 
ecclesiastics,  their  books,  and  their  periodical  papers  ; — 
when  they  are  sagaciously  erecting  seminaries  of  impo- 
sing and  highly  popular  character,  in  many  districts  of 
the  United  States  very  imperfectly,  if  at  all,  furnished 
with  sounder  ones  of  equal  reputation  ; — when  they  are 
artfully  opening  these  seminaries  to  students  on  cheaper 
terms  than  most  others  can  afford,  and  in  some  cases  in- 
siduously  offering  to  receive  Protestant  children  into 
their  literary  institutions  free  of  all  charge  ; — when  it  is 
notorious  that  one  great  object  of  the  seminaries  in  ques- 


10  INTRODUCTORY    ESSAY. 

tion  is.  to  extend  and  facilitate  the  work  of  making  prose- 
lytes to  the  Papacy  ; — when  we  see  adults,  as  well  as 
children,  in  considerable  numbers,  actually  made  the 
dupes  and  the  victims  of  these  accepted  offers ; — and 
when  those  high  in  ecclesiastical  authority  among  them, 
are  continually  boasting  of  the  number  and  importance 
of  their  converts  ; — when  facts  of  this  kind  are  daily  pre- 
sented to  public  view — I  must  say,  if  they  are  not  serious 
and  awakening  in  their  aspect,  I  scarcely  know  what 
ought  to  be  so  deemed.  If  those  who  are  "  set  for  the 
defence  of  the  Gospel,"  cannot  see,  and  will  not  give 
warning  of  such  facts,  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  what 
would  be  sufficient  to  rouse  them  to  a  faithful  discharge 
of  their  duty.  The  Papists  themselves  speak  without 
scruple  of  their  proselyting  projects.  Archbishop  Whit- 
field, of  Baltimore,  in  a  late  report  to  an  association  in 
Vienna,  formed  for  the  express  purpose  of  spreading  Ro- 
manism in  America,  says — "  I  cannot  omit  mentioning, 
that  in  this  school,  as  in  all  the  Catholic  institutions  for 
education,  a  large  proportion  of  the  children  are  Protest- 
ants ;  a  circumstance  which  contributes  not  a  little  to  the 
spread  of  our  holy  doctrine,  and  the  removal  of  preju- 
dices." There  are  those,  it  seems,  who  will  not  believe 
them  even  on  their  own  explicit  and  undisguised  testi- 
mony ! 

Can  Christians,  or  Christian  ministers  forget  that  this 
is  a  subject  of  the  deepest  interest  to  their  oivn  offspring,  as 
well  as  to  the  whole  Church  of  God  in  our  land  ?  Can 
they  forget  that  those  large  districts  in  which  Popery,  if 
not  resisted  and  exposed,  may  become  predominent,  may 
be  hereafter  the  residence  of  their  children,  or  their  chil- 
dren's children,  where  they  may  be  ensnared  and  ruined 
forever  ?     Can  they  forget  that  Popery  is,  in  its  own  na- 


INTRODUCTORY    ESSAY.  11 

tufe,  a  system  of  tyranny  over  both  the  minds  and  bodies 
of  men  ;  that  it  openly  sets  at  naught  the  rights  of  con- 
science ;  that  where  it  reigns,  it  is  essentially  destructive 
of  civil  and  religious  liberty  ;  and  that,  if  it  should  ever 
obtain  the  ascendency  in  our  beloved  country,  we  may 
bid  farewell  to  that  liberty  with  which  it  has  pleased 
Him  who  "  sits  as  Governor  among  the  nations"  to  make 
us  free  ?  Surely  every  feeling  of  natural  affection,  of 
Christian  benevolence,  and  of  enlightened  patriotism 
should  inspire  an  interest  in  this  subject  of  the  most  in- 
tense character. 

Let  it  not  be  said,  that,  while  Popery  is,  in  some 
countries,  a  corrupt,  and  corrupting  system  ;  while,  for 
example,  in  Spain,  in  Portugal  and  in  Italy,  it  holds 
a  gloomy  and  a  pernicious  reign  ; — it  is,  in  the  United 
States,  a  harmless  thing,  divested,  in  a  great  measure,  if 
not  entirely,  of  every  formidable  and  threatening  feature. 
Many  Protestants  are  entirely  deceived  by  impressions 
of  this  kind.  They  hear  some  plausible  and  artful  Pa- 
pist pleading  the  cause  of  his  religion  ;  denying  some  of 
the  most  serious  imputations  against  it,  and  disguising 
others  under  the  most  ingenious  glosses ; — they  hear 
•  these  representations,  and  wonder  why  good  people 
should  be  so  much  prejudiced  against  Roman  Catholics  ! 
This  is  an  utter  delusion.  The  spirit  of  the  Papacy  is 
the  very  same  at  this  hour,  that  it  was  when  Luther  took 
his  life  in  his  hand,  and  went  forth  against  the  embattled 
hosts  of  superstition  and  sin.  There  can,  indeed,  be  no 
change  without  an  abandonment  of  her  essential  princi- 
ples. It  is  her  glory,  her  votaries  tell  us,  that  she  is,  in 
all  respects,  the  same,  in  the  United  States,  and  in  the 
nineteenth  century,  that  she  ever  was.  And  they  say 
the  truth.     It  is  even  so.     She  has  undergone  no  essen- 


12  INTRODUCTORY    ESSAY. 

tial  change.  Like  all  systems,  indeed,  of  profound  and 
organized  falsehood,  she  can  alter  her  tones,  her  profes- 
sions, and  even  her  aspect,  at  pleasure  ;  but  the  moment 
she  is  placed  in  circumstances  which  allow  her  to  act 
out  her  genuine  spirit,  we  find  it  to  be  the  very  same 
spirit  which  established  the  Inquisition  in  the  twelfth 
century ;  which  butchered  the  poor  and  pious  Wal- 
denses,  in  their  secluded  vallies,  in  the  fifteenth  and 
seventeenth  ;  which,  for  ages,  imprisoned  and  burnt  the 
objects  of  their  cupidity  or  resentment,  without  mercy ; 
and  which  has  never  ceased,  since  she  possessed  the 
power,  to  deceive,  cheat,  oppress  and  destroy  those  whom 
she  could  subjugate  to  her  will,  under  the  pretext  of  con- 
ducting them  to  happiness  here  and  hereafter. 

And  what  principle  or  practice  has  the  Papacy  aban- 
doned, in  modern  times,  or  in  this  country,  which  she 
was  able  to  maintain  ?  Does  she  not  to  this  hour  con- 
tinue to  assert  the  infallibility  of  the  Pope,  and  his  right 
to  pronounce  what  is  the  vCrill  of  Christ,  without  appeal 
even  to  the  Scriptures  ?  Does  she  not  virtually  contend 
for  tradition,  and  for  uninspired  Councils  and  Fathers, 
as  equal,  or  rather  paramount,  as  a  rule  of  faith,  to  the 
infallible  Word  ?  Does  she  not  maintain,  as  openly  and 
zealously  as  ever,  the  doctrine  of  human  merit,  as  the 
foundation  of  hope  toward  God  ;  of  works  of  supereroga- 
tion ;  and  of  indulgences  to  sin  purchased  by  the  pay- 
ment of  money  1  Does  she  not  still  hold  the  doctrine  of 
T'ransubstantiation,  "  that  enormous  outrage  on  every 
dictate  of  sense  and  reason,  as  well  as  of  Scripture  ?" 
Does  she  not  still  hold  fast  to  her  system  of  "  auricular 
confession,"  which  opens  a  door  to  almost  every  species 
of  licentiousness,  and  oppression  ?  Has  she  not,  within 
a  few  years,  deliberately  restored  the  power  and  the  cru- 


INTRODUCTORY    ESSAY.  13 

cities  of  the  Inquisition,  an  institution  which,  perhaps, 
has  been  the  means  of  inflicting  more  injury  and  misery, 
and  of  bringing  on  individuals  and  families  a  larger 
amount  of  destruction  to  life,  liberty,  and  peace  than  any 
other  that  ever  bore  the  Christian  name  ?  Does  she  not, 
after  all  her  multiplied  denials  of  the  fact,  continue  to 
lock  up  the  Scriptures  from  the  common  people,  and  re- 
quire them  to  read  such  parts  only  of  the  inspired  volume 
as  the  Church  allows  them  to  see  ;  and  to  put  upon  it 
that  interpretation  which  the  Church  commands  them  to 
adopt  ?  Has  she  not  recently  restored  the  order  of  the 
Jesuits,  whose  doctrinal  and  moral  profligacy  caused 
them,  more  than  half  a  century  ago,  to  be  expelled  from 
the  territory  of  almost  every  state  in  Europe,  not  even 
excepting  those  under  the  dominion  of  Rome  ;  and  finally 
to  be  abolished  by  the  Pope,  as  a  disgrace  to  Christen- 
dom ?  An  order,  concerning  which  Mr.  Hume  has  said, 
that  "  by  the  very  nature  of  their  institution,  they  were 
engaged  to  pervert  learning  :  to  refine  away  the  plainest 
dictates  of  morality ;  and  to  erect  a  regular  system  of 
casuistry,  by  which  prevarication,  perjury,  and  every 
crime,  where  it  served  their  ghostly  purposes,  might  be 
justified  and  defended."  Does  she  not  insist  as  much  as 
ever  on  the  celibacy  of  the  clergy,  with  all  the  appalling 
mass  of  abominations  with  which  that  restriction  has  been 
always  connected  ?  Does  she  not  still  endeavor,  as  far 
as  practicable,  to  subject  the  intellectual  powers,  the  con- 
sciences, the  literary  pursuits,  the  inquiries,  and  the  pro- 
perty of  men  to  her  oppressive  domination  ?  Are  these 
symptoms  of  returning  moderation  or  purity  ?  True, 
she  does  not  practice  some  of  her  worst  enormities  in 
this  country.  The  unbridled  profligacy  of  her  Monas- 
teries and  Nunneries  ;  the  heart-rending  cruelties  of  the 


14  INTRODUCTORY    ESSAY. 

Inquisition ;  the  public  sale  of  Indulgences  to  commit 
the  most  shocking  crimes  ;  the  open  claims  of  dominion 
over  the  consciences  and  the  persons  of  men  ;  and  the 
fires  of  Smifhjleld  and  of  Constance  have  not  yet  been 
re-acted  in  our  happy  land.  But  why  t  Simply  because 
public  opinion,  and  public  law  render  it  impracticable. 
That  the  Papal  system  itself  is  still  favorable  to  all  these 
enormities,  it  is  no  want  of  charity  to  say,  because  that 
"  infallible  and  unchanging  Church,"  in  all  countries  in 
which  she  dares  to  do  so,  is  actually  still  exhi- 
biting   THOSE    ENORMITIES,  WITHOUT    RELENTING    OR 

SHAME  !  As  long,  then,  as  this  ecclesiastical  power  re- 
tains these  principles,  and  practices  these  crimes,  can  we 
be  mistaken  in  applying  to  it  those  tremendous  titles 
which  the  Spirit  of  Prophecy  evidently  employs  to  de- 
signate his  character  ; — "  the  Man  of  sin  ;"  "the  Son  of 
perdition  ;"  "  the  Anti-christ,"  who  "  opposeth  and  exalt- 
eth  himself  above  all  that  is  called  God,  or  that  is  wor- 
shipped ?" 

The  character  of  the  late  Bishop  Watso?i,  as  remark- 
ably free  from  a  spirit  of  bigotry,  and  what  some  are  dis- 
posed to  call  "  puritanical  prejudice,"  is  well  known. 
Yet  he,  in  reference  to  the  subject  before  us,  has  ex- 
pressed himself  in  the  following  terms  : 

"  That  the  Popish  religion  is  the  Christian  religion,  is 
a  false  position  ;  and  therefore  Christianity  may  be  true, 
though  the  religion  of  the  Church  of  Rome  be,  in  many 
of  its  parts,  an  imposture.  This  observation  should  al- 
ways be  kept  in  mind  by  such  as  are  sent  to  finish  their 
education  by  travelling  in  Catholic  countries.  It  may 
seem  paradoxical  to  assert,  that  the  corruptions  of  any 
religion  can  be  proofs  of  its  truth  ;  yet  the  corruptions  of 
the  Christian  religion,  as  practised  by  the  Church  of 


INTRODUCTORY    ESSAY.  15 

Rome,  are  certain  proofs  of  the  truth  of  the  Christian  re- 
ligion ;  inasmuch  as  they  are  exact  completions  of  the 
prophecies  which  were  delivered  by  Daniel,  St.  Paul, 
and  St.  John,  concerning  that  apostacy  from  the  faith, 
which  was  to  take  place  in  latter  times.  I  have  known 
the  infidelity  of  more  than  one  young  man  happily  re- 
moved, by  showing  him  the  characters  of  Popery  deli- 
neated by  St.  Paul,  in  his  prophecy  concerning  the 
'Man  of  Sin'  (2  Thess.  ii.  1)  and  in  that  concerning 
the  apostacy  of  latter  times  (1  Tim.  iv.  1.)  Bishop 
Hurd,  in  his  seventh  sermon  at  Warburton's  Lecture,  has 
given  a  concise  history  of  the  charge  oi  Anti-christia7iism, 
which  has,  at  different  times,  been  brought  against  the 
Church  of  Rome.  Dr.  Whitaker,  Regius  Professor  of  Di- 
vinity at  Cambridge,  in  his  exercise  for  his  degree  at  the 
commencement  in  1582,  supported  this  Thesis — 'Pontifex 
Romanus  est  ille  Antichristus  quem  futurum  Scriptura 
praedixit ;'  i.  e.  '  The  Pope  of  Rome  is  that  Antichrist 
whom  the  Scripture  foretold  as  to  come.'  He  had,  before 
that  time,  refuted  the  forty  arguments  by  which  Nicholas 
Sanders  boasted  that  he  had  demonstrated  that  the  Pope 
was  not  Antichrist.  Whitaker''s  works  are  very  well 
worth  being  looked  into  by  those  who  would  know  what 
can  be  said  for  and  against  the  other  principal  points  in 
controversy  between  Protestants  and  Papists,  as  well  as 
against  this  primary  pillar  of  the  Reformed  faith 
— That  the  Hierarchy  of  the  Church  of  Rome  is  the 
Little  Horn  of  Daniel,  the  Man  of  Si7i  of  St.  Paul,  and 
the  Antichrist  of  St.  Joh7i.  The  evidence  arising  from 
the  completion  of  the  prophecies  relative  to  the  Rise, 
Character,  and  Fall  of  the  Ma7i  of  Sin,  is  an  increasing 
evidence.  It  strikes  us  with  more  force  than  it  struck 
our  ancestors  before  the  Reformation ;  and  it  will  strike 


( 

16  INTRODUCTORY    ESSAY. 

our  ^posterity,  who  shall  observe  the  different  gradations 
of  his  decline,  and  his  final  catastrophe,  with  more  force 
than  it  now  strikes  us."* 

There  is  one  serious  disadvantage  under  which  Pro- 
testants labour  in  engaging  in  controversy  with  the  Ro- 
manists, which  it  gives  me  pain  to  notice,  but  which  can- 
not, in  justice  to  the  cause  of  truth,  be  overlooked.  The 
professed  morality  of  the  former  is  pure  and  strict ; 
whereas,  that  of  the  latter  is  radically  corrupt  and  eva- 
sive. The  doctrine,  that  "  no  faith  is  to  be  kept  with  he- 
retics ;"  and  that  it  is  lawful  to  "  do  evil  that  good  may 
come  ;"  in  other  words,  that  there  is  no  harm  in  denying, 
equivocating,  concealing,  deceiving,  and  uttering  direct 
falsehoods,  for  the  sake  of  bringing  men  into  the  "  true 
Church,"  or  defending  the  character  of  that  Church,  is  a 
doctrine  so  well  known  to  be  practically  adopted  by  the  ad- 
vocates of  the  Papacy,  that  they  require  to  be  as  diligently 
watched  as  a  highwayman,  or  an  assassin  in  the  dark. 
The  late  controversy  with  the  Romanists,  as  conducted 
in  our  principal  cities,  afforded  specimens  of  these  profli- 
gate and  dishonorable  arts,  as  numerous  as  they  were 
revolting.  Misrepresentations  the  most  gross  were  not 
only  made,  but  after  their  falsehood  was  demonstrated, 
were  persisted  in  with  a  recklessness  truly  astonishing. 
With  such  adversaries,  it  is  difficult  for  men  of  truth  and 
of  delicacy  to  carry  on  a  contest.  To  employ  their  own 
weapons  is  inadmissible :  while  to  follow  them  in  all 
their  subterfuges  of  evasion  and  falsehood,  is  as  painful 
as  it  is  tedious  ;  and  may,  after  all,  fail  of  satisfying  those 


*   Theological  Tracts,  Vol.  V.    Prefatory  Remarks  on  Benson^s. 
Essay  on  the  Man  of  Sin. 


INTRODUCTORY    ESSAY.  17 

who  are  of  such  a  temperament,  as  to  be  borne  down  by 
a  brazen  and  insolent  front. 

I  am  aAvare  that  some,  who  profess  to  be  fully  con- 
vinced that  Romanism  is  a  corrupt  and  a  mischievous 
system,  are  prejudiced  against  all  controversy,  as  such, 
and  deny  that  it  is  useful  to  employ  it  even  in  defence  of 
the  truth.  They  imagine  that  all  animadversion  on  the 
religious  tenets  of  others,  and  especially  all  denunciation 
of  them,  as  unscriptural  and  dangerous,  tend  to  evil  only, 
and  ought  to  be  avoided.  If  the  eye  of  any  such  Protes- 
tant should  light  on  this  page,  he  is  earnestly  entreated 
to  ponder  well  the  following  questions. — Are  there  not 
really  fundamental  errors,  which  amount  to  "another 
Gospel,"  and  which  the  inspired  apostle  has  pronounced 
"  damnable  heresies  ?"  If  this  be  so,  ought  not  our  chil- 
dren and  neighbours,  who  may  be  assailed  sooner  than 
we  imagine  by  these  heresies,  to  be  distinctly  put  on  their 
guard  against  them  1  Is  not  all  error  mischievous  in  its 
tendency,  and  therefore  to  be  avoided  and  opposed  ?  Are 
we  not  enjoined  to  "  try  the  spirits  whether  they  are  of  God, 
seeing  many  false  prophets  are  gone  out  into  the  world  ?" 
Nay,  are  we  not  expressly  commanded,  to  "  contend  earn- 
estly for  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints  ?"  Can  we, 
therefore,  without  unfaithfulness  to  our  Master  in  heaven, 
suffer  mischievous  error  to  be  propagated  around  us,  with- 
out an  effort  to  oppose  and  refute  it  ?  Does  not  the  word  of 
God  represent  the  children  of  men  as,  universally,  by 
nature,  disposed  to  embrace  error  rather  than  truth  ;  and 
does  it  not  represent  one  great  object  of  the  institution  of 
a  Church  on  earth,  as  being  to  lift  up  a  Standard,  and 
bear  a  solemn,  and  a  constant  testimony  against  corrup- 
tion in  principle  and  practice?  Have  not  Christians 
been  called,  in  fact,  in  all  ages  to  defend  the  truth  against 


18  INTRODUCTORY    ESSAY. 

gainsayers  ;  and  has  not  controversy  been  ever  the  prin- 
cipal means,  under  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  of  sup- 
porting and  extending  Gospel  truth  ?  Is  it  not  manifest- 
ly, then,  one  of  the  most  important  duties  v/hich  we  owe 
to  God,  and  our  fellow  men — "to  prove  all  things;"  to 
"  hold  fast  that  which  is  good ;"  to  warn  the  ignorant  and 
unwary  against  the  "  instruction  that  causeth  to  err  ;"  and 
to  be  well  established  in  the  truth  I  Nay,  is  it  possible 
to  avoid  controversy,  in  such  a  world  as  this,  without 
a  dereliction  of  duty  ?  Truly,  if  there  be  any  lesson 
taught  in  the  Bible,  it  is,  that  Christians  cannot  witness 
the  prevalence  of  corruption,  whether  in  principle  or 
practice,  without  lifting  against  it  a  warning  voice,  and 
employing  for  its  overthrow  all  the  authorized  Aveapons 
of  their  hallowed  warfare,  unless  they  would  sin  against 
God,  and  "oifend  against  the  generation  of  the  right- 
eous." 

With  regard  to  the  ensuing  "  History  of  Popery,"  my 
engagements  as  well  as  my  situation  in  regard  to  the  ma- 
nuscript, and  the  press,  have  prevented  my  giving  it  an 
entire  perusal.  But  my  knowledge  of  the  truly  respec- 
table character  of  the  Author,  as  well  as  the  cursory  in- 
spection which  I  have  been  able  to  give  to  some  detached 
parts  of  the  work.^satisfy  me  that  it  may  be  read  with 
entire  confidence,  and  that  it  is  adapted  to  do  much  good. 
So  far  as  my  observation  has  gone,  I  am  persuaded  that 
no  statement  is  made  but  on  the  best  authority ;  that  in  a 
number  of  cases,  the  picture  might  have  been  made  dark- 
er without  injustice  ;  and  that  the  whole  is  executed  in  a 
manner,  which,  while  it  reflects  honor  on  the  writer,  is 
well  worthy  of  the  careful  perusal  of  all  who  wish  to  be 
able  to  "  give  a  reason  of  the  hope  that  is  in  them,"  and 
to  warn  their  children,  and  others  around  them,  against 
those  delusions  which  destroy  the  soul. 

SAMUEL  MILLER. 

Princeton,  March  28,  1834. 


AUTHOR'S    PREFACE. 

It  will  not  be  denied  by  any  correct  observer  of  the  signs 
of  the  times,  that  the  inhabitants  of  this  land  have  occasion 
to  inform  themselves  thoroughly  respecting  the  merits  of 
popery.  This  would  be  true,  if  we  consider  only  the  intrin- 
sic importance  of  the  subject.  Popery  has  deeply  affected 
the  greater  part  of  the  visible  Christian  world,  and  spread  its 
influence  far  and  wide  in  the  earth.  Wherever  it  goes,  it 
strikes  its  roots  deep  into  all  the  interests  and  relations  of 
life.  It  takes  hold  on  civil  as  well  as  religious  concerns  :  it 
insinuates  itself  into  the  retirement  of  social  and  domestic 
intercourse :  it  thrusts  its  meddling  fingers  into  every  trans- 
action, and  claims  the  right  to  control  all  that  pertains  to  the 
body  or  soul,  to  time  or  eternity.  Popery,  therefore,  it  must 
be  confessed,  involves  the  interests  and  happiness  of  the 
human  race  to  an  immeasurable  extent.  For  this  reason  it 
certainly  ought  to  be  well  understood.  If  it  is  good,  and  cal- 
culated to  promote  the  best  interests  of  social  and  moral 
beings,  then  by  all  means  let  it  be  well  known,  that  all  may 
partake  of  its  blessings.  But  if  it  be  bad,  it  ought  no  less  to 
be  known,  that  its  baleful  influence  may  be  avoided,  and  its 
dominion  dissolved.  Any  cause  which  exerts  so  powerful 
an  influence  on  the  interests  of  man  as  popery,  ought  to  be 
thoroughly  explored  and  fully  disclosed,  that  every  one  con- 
cerned may  be  able  to  form  a  correct  opinion  of  its  merits. 
And  in  this  age,  and  this  land  of  free  inquiry,  popery  can 
expect  no  less.  Her  votaries  will  not  be  summoned  before 
the  tribunal  of  the  inquisition,  nor  will  they  be  examined  by 
rack  and  torture.  This  regimen  is  peculiar  to  popery ;  but 
they  are  summoned  to  the  bar  of  public  opinion,  from  which 
there  is  no  appeal.  Let  popery  then  prepare  to  lay  off"  her 
cloaks  and  pretences,  and  to  appear  in  her  true  character. 

In  addition  to  the  above  mentioned  considerations  of  uni- 
versal application,  the  people  of  this  land  have  still  more 
urgent  motives  to  investigate  the  length,  breadth,  and  depth 
of  popery.      Our  country  is  blessed  with  a  government  of 


XX  author's  preface. 

perfect  religious  toleration.  That  is  to  say,  every  person  is 
secure  in  such  religious  belief  and  practice  as  he  prefers,  pro- 
vided he  does  not  infringe  on  the  existence  and  exercise  of 
this  right  in  his  fellow-citizens.  This  principle  of  toleration, 
among  those  denominations  which  allow  the  benefits  of  it 
to  others,  as  well  as  take  advantage  of  it  themselves,  is  per- 
fectly safe  and  equitable.  But  under  the  dominion  of  popery 
we  find  a  community  of  men,  who  claim  the  right  to  control, 
not  only  their  own  faith  and  practice,  but"  that  of  all  others. 
They  are  the  oracles  of  truth  :  with  them  dwells  infallibility : 
and  all  who  differ  from  them  are  of  course  heretics  :  and  as 
such,  unworthy  of  the  common  civilities  and  rights  of  men. 
They  claim  it  as  their  right,  and  regard  it  as  their  bounden 
duty,  to  compel  by  physical  force,  nay,  by  tortures  and  death, 
the  assent  of  all  their  fellow-men  to  their  belief,  and  con- 
formity to  their  dictates.  What,  then,  is  the  effect  of  tole- 
ration in  regard  to  papists  ?  It  is  simply  this :  they  are  pro- 
tected and  cherished  in  common  with  all  other  citizens,  until 
they- can  gain  power  sufficient  to  subjugate  and  destroy  all 
others.  Popery  takes  advantage  of  toleration  while  circum- 
stances require  it,  but  it  cannot,  in  consistency,  extend  that 
toleration  to  others.  It  takes  advantage  of  a  free  govern- 
ment to  gain  power,  but  it  must,  to  maintain  consistency, 
destroy  every  free  government,  just  as  soon  as  it  has  the 
power  in  possession.  It  is  like  the  serpent,  benumbed  with 
cold,  which  a  countryman  brought  to  his  fireside.  But  no 
sooner  did  the  reptile  feel  the  genial  heat  restoring  his  wonted 
activity,  than  he  fell  to  biting  the  children.  The  uniform 
practice  of  papists,  in  all  countries  where  they  have  possessed 
the  power,  shoAvs  that  they  well  understand  what  consistency, 
with  their  principles,  demands.  For  when  or  where  did  any 
one  ever  hear  of  toleration  or  freedom  in  a  government  wielded 
by  their  hands  ? 

The  number  of  papists  bound  together,  and  to  the  pope  of 
Rome,  by  a  tie,  and  by  sympathies,  which  in  their  view  are 
paramount  to  every  other,  is  rapidly  increasing  and  spreading 
in  our  country.  And  while  we  cannot  turn  away  our  eyes 
from  this  fact,  we  ought  to  recollect  that  our  government  is 
not  only  one  of  toleration,  but  also  that  it  is  elective.  In 
other  words,  that  it  is  entirely  in  the  hands  of  the  people.  If 
the  views  and  principles  of  the  people  change,  a  corresponding 


ATJTHOIl's   PREFACE.  XXl 

change  of  the  government  must  follow.     There  is  no  spell 
or  charm  in  republicanism  that  can  preserve  it  a  moment 
after  the  people  become  bent  on  oppression.     Look,  then,  at 
the  floods  of  immigration  which  are  pouring  in  upon  us  from 
popish  countries.     Look  at  the  natural  inclination  of  men  of 
all  countries  to  embrace  false  religion.     Look  at  the  boldness 
and  activity  of  the  emissaries  of  the  pope  in  this  country : 
the  treasures  which  are  opened  in  Europe  for  their  encou- 
ragement and  support :  and  say,  is  it  not  possible  that  popery 
may,  in  an  evil  hour,  by  adroitly  adjusting  herself  to  some 
party  interest,  seize  the  reins  of  our  government  ?     Suppose 
it  done,  and  all  our  free  institutions  would  wither  as  leaves 
touched   with  frost.      Suppose   it   done,   and   what   is  the 
prospect   at   once   presented   to   every   other   class   of  citi- 
zens?    What  says  the  record  of  past  ages,  the  experience 
of  the  exiled,  persecuted,  worn  out  servants  of  the  Lord, 
in  past  periods   of   the   world,    to   this   question?      What 
could  any  who  differ  from  them  expect  but  the  dungeons 
of  the  inquisition,  the  fire  and  faggots  of  persecution?     Po- 
pery has  hitherto  taken  advantage  of  the  want  of  informa- 
tion respecting  it,  which  extensively  prevails  in  this  country. 
It  has  not  made  efforts  or  pretensions  here  until  recently,  and 
what  has  been  known  concerning  it,  has  been  derived  from 
the  stories  and  reports  of  other  limes,  and  other  parts  of  the 
world,  but  in  which  we  have  felt  no  personal  interest.     But 
this  scantiness  of  information  is  highly  auspicious  to  the 
cause  of  popery.     Darkness  is  her  element.     And  where  ig- 
norance and  apathy  reign,  where  the  press  is  silent,  there  she 
will  come  forth,  not  to  show  herself,  but  to  exhibit  her  delu- 
sive pageantry.     She  will  artfully  conceal  her  designs,  while 
she  amuses  with  many  things  that  bear  the  epithet  holy. 
There  is  the  holy  cross,  the  holy  wafer,  the  holy  tcater, 
the  holy  virgin,  the  holy  saints,  the  holy  priests,  the  holy 
pope,  and  many  other  things  as  holy  as  these.     There  are 
the  traditions  of  men,  the  orders  and  decrees   of  councils 
ra.ade  for  occasion,  there  are  pictures,  images,  bones,  garments, 
and  hair  of  saints,  and  if  you  will  implicitly  believe,  and  ask 
no  questions,  there  are  miracles  too.     And  while  the  attention 
of  the  ignorant  and  superstitious  is  rivetted  by  these  shows, 
theii  bands  are  made  strong,  and  like  the  heedless  fly,  they 
are  implicated  in  a  web  from  Avhich  there  is  little  hope  of 

2** 


xxii  author's  preface. 

escape.  But  in  all  this,  observe,  popery  shows  only  the  fair 
side.  She  keeps  back  out  of  sight  her  apparatus  of  racks 
and  tortures.  She  will  mock  at  your  fears  of  the  blood- 
thirsty inquisition.  And  if  you  relate  Avhat  popery  has  been 
in  other  countries  and  at  other  times,  she  pretends  there  is 
some  relaxation  of  the  system,  and  that  popery  has  fallen 
violently  in  love  with  free  government  and  republican  insti- 
tutions. Let  this  process  go  on  without  exposure,  and  who 
will  venture  to  insure  our  own  country  against  papal  domi- 
nion ?  Moreover,  this  outside  religion,  this  show  and  gri- 
mace, this  buying  salvation  by  bowing  and  n^uttering,  and 
withal,  by  the  virtue  of  the  purse,  is  taking  in  our  world.  It 
is  just  what  men  will  prefer,  if  their  Consciences  and  under- 
standings are  not  too  much  enlightened  to  admit  its  moral 
deformity  and  its  absurdity.  What  then  is  to  be  done  ? 
Shall  popery  be  met  with  restrictive  and  penal  statues,  with 
the  arm  of  civil  authority  or  physical  force  ?  By  no  means. 
This  would  be  utterly  inconsistent  with  the  genius  of  our 
free  institutions,  and  the  spirit  of  our  religion.  Popery  may 
propagate  her  cause  by  fraud  or  blood,  but  no  good  cause  can 
flourish  by  such  means.  How  then  shall  it  be  met  ?  The 
answer  is,  by  evidence  and  argument.  Let  public  opinion  be 
enlightened,  let  popery  be  examined  and  exposed,  leave  no 
nook  for  it  to  hide.  Pour  in  light  upon  its  dark  recesses.. 
If  it  will  intrude  into  our  country,  insist  upon  it,  that  it  shall 
come  in  its  true  character.  Tear  away  every  mask,  cloak 
and  curtain,  show  it  to  the  world  as  it  is.  Write,  print,  pub- 
lish, read,  converse,  till  the  important  facts  respecting  this 
subject  have  a  general  circulation  in  the  community.  If  ship 
loads  of  papists  are  landed  on  our  shores  from  lands  of  dark- 
ness, let  them  find  that  they  have  come  into  a  land  of  light. 
If  men  and  women  will  be  papists  in  this  land  of  freedom,, 
they  shall  have  no  excuse.  They  shall  know  what  they  em- 
brace, yes,  and  the  world  shall  know  likewise,  and  they  shall 
take  the  responsibility  of  such  a  choice.  To  effect  this  pur- 
pose, however,  the  friends  of  truth  and  liberty  must  be  on 
the  alert.  In  several  respects,  misapprehension  appears  to 
prevail  in  this  country  in  regard  to  popery.  One  is,  that  it  is 
a  branch  of  Christianity,  and  though  a  corruption,  yet  that  it 
contains  something  of  pure  Christian  principle.  But  atten- 
tion to  the  facts  in  the  case  will  show  that  this  is  an  utter  mis- 


adthor's'  preface.  xxiii 

take.  Popery  has  no  more  relation  to  Christianity  than  a 
dead  carcass  has  to  a  living  man.  It  has  not  so  much.  For 
it  is  not  only  destitute  of  vital  energy,  it  is  an  apostacy,  and 
an  enemy  to  all  evangelical  principle. 

Another  respect  in  which  the  subject  is  misapprehended  is, 
that  in  this  land  v^e  have  nothing  to  fear  from  it.  And  what 
are  the  grounds  of  this  opinion  ?  Are  they,  that  popery 
changes  its  character  by  treading  our  soil,  and  becomes  com- 
paratively harmless  ?  Fatal  infatuation  !  Is  not  popery  in- 
fallible and  immutable?  What  change,  then,  can  be  ex- 
pected, but  that  which  is  produced  by  present  necessity,  and 
is  therefore  temporary  ?  Is  it  said  the  public  mind  will  not 
bear  its  grosser  parts,  and  therefore  they  will  not  be  obtruded  ? 
But  how  long  will  it  take  popery  to  produce  a  state  of  public 
feeling  that  will  bear  all  its  enormities  ? 

Another  misapprehension  is,  that  popery  can  be  put  down 
by  railing  and  denunciation.  This  course  favors  popery,  by 
exciting  public  sympathy,  without  enlightening  public  opi- 
nion. Popery  may  rail,  and  denounce,  and  banter,  it  will 
receive  no  injury.  Like  all  error  it  has  an  affinity  to  such 
weapons.  But  truth  cannot  be  defended  by  like  means  with- 
out a  tarnish,  if  without  a  deep  wound.  And  if  the  advo- 
cates of  truth  are  provoked  to  take  up  these  weapons,  they 
should,  as  David  did  with  the  armor  of  Saul,  lay  them  down 
again  as  soon  as  possible.  Truth  needs  not  such  defence, 
error  has  no  other.  Some  one  has  finely  remarked  concerning 
the  course  which  Michael  took,  when  disputing  with  Satan 
about  the  body  of  Moses,  that  he  durst  not  bring  a  railing  ac- 
cusation, because  he  knew  that  he  should  then  be  on  Satan's 
own  ground,  and  that  Satan,  being  an  adept  in  the  business, 
could  outrail  him.  The  rebuke  of  the  Lord,  and  of  this 
simple  fact,  is  all  the  resort  we  need  in  meeting  popery. 

The  foregoing  views  of  this  subject  have  had  their  influ- 
ence in  producing  the  following  history.  The  plan  is  to  give 
a  connected  narrative,  in  brief,  of  the  rise,  progress,  and  ma- 
turity of  this  power,  and  then  to  take  a  view  of  its  leading 
doctrines  and  practices,  as  they  have  been  exhibited  in  the 
course  of  events,  and  are  to  be  gained  from  authentic 
sources. 

The  following  history,  of  course,  will  lay  in  no  claim  to 
originality.      It   is   a   compilation   and   abridgment.      And 


xxiv  author's  preface. 

though  the  statements  are  designed  and  believed  to  be 
strictly  authentic,  yet,  as  it  is  an  object  in  this  work  to  avoid 
prolixity  and  expensiveness,  it  is  not  deemed  expedient  to 
specify  the  authorities.  Fevv;  of  them  could  probably  be  re- 
ferred to  by  the  reader,  if  they  were  named,  and  those  who 
have  access  to  the  authorities  will  not  need  the  reference. 
It  may  be  here  observed,  however,  in  general  terms,  that  the 
works  from  which  the  compilation  is  principally  made,  are 
Mosheim's,  and  Milner's  histories,  McGavin's  Protestant, 
and  Cramp's  Text  Book  of  Popery. 

That  the  truth  will  finally  prevail  there  is  no  doubt.  But 
that  it  will  prevail  by  efforts  and  means,  is  equally  certain. 
If  the  present  effort  shall  in  any  measure  subserve  the  cause 
of  truth,  the  best  interests  of  man,  and  the  glory  of  the  Re- 
deemer, the  intentions  of  the  compiler  will  be  fulfilled. 


HISTORY  OF  POPERY. 


SECTION    I. 


THE    ORIGIN    OF    POPERY. 


The  term  Popery  is  derived  from  Papa,  which  signi- 
fies a  Father.  In  its  ecclesiastical  usei,  it  denotes  the 
supremacy  of  the  Bishop  of  Rome,  as  the  earthly  head  or 
father  of  the  church  universal,  including  all  the  professed 
followers  of  Christ  on  earth.  It  is  true  that  the  term  pope 
has  been  applied,  by  some  writers,  to  the  bishops  of  Rome 
from  the  earliest  times.  But  this  is  calculated  to  mislead 
the  mind  of  the  reader.  For  the  truth  is,  the  bishops  of 
Rome  were  never  designated  by  this  title  until  after  su- 
premacy was  achieved.  And  by  modern  writers  only 
has  this  title  been  carried  back  and  applied  to  bishops  in 
the  early  days  of  Christianity.  To  call  Peter  or  Clement 
I.  a  pope,  is  paying  a  modern  compliment,  which  either 
of  these  men^  or  their  immediate  successors,  would  have 
little  relished.  It  was  not  the  mind  of  Christ  that  any 
among  his  disciples  should  be  called  Rabbi,  or  Father, 
by  way  of  distinction.  But  he  would  have  them  esteem 
each  other  brethren,  and  the  servants  or  ministers  of 
Christ  and  the  church.  And  Peter  was  content  to  follow 
this  advice  of  his  Lord  and  Master ;  for  he  styles  him- 
self, in  one  of  his  epistles,  "Simon  Peter,  a  servant  and 
an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ."  Paul  was  of  the  same  mind, 
when  he  says — "  who  then  is  Paul,  and  who  is  Apollos, 
but  ministers  (servants)  by  whom  ye  believed  even  as  the 
Lord  gave  to  every  man."  Again,  "  Let  a  man  so  ac- 
count of  us  as  of  the  ministers  (servants)  of  Christ,  and 
stewards  of  the  mysteries  of  God."     Peter  and  Paul 

3 


26  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

therefore  never  aspired  to  any  higher  title  of  dignity  than 
that  of  servant.  The  same  is  true  of  the  primitive  minis- 
ters of  the  church.  And  when  we  read  of  the  popes  of 
Rome  in  histories  which  relate  to  the  early  ages  of  the 
Christian  church,  we  are  exposed  to  imposition.  This 
is  mere  artifice,  to  give  the  authority  of  antiquity  to  the 
name  and  usurpation  which  it  expressed  in  after  times. 
By  this  artifice  many  are  doubtless  led  to  suppose  that 
the  church  of  Rome  and  her  bishops  must  have  had,  from 
the  beginning,  some  kind  of  superiority.  But  the  illu- 
sion will  vanish  when  we  reflect  that,  in  primitive  times, 
the  bishops  of  Rome  were  not  called  popes,  either  by 
themselves  or  their  cotemporaries  ;  and  that  they  receive 
this  title  from  those  who  wrote  about  them,  after  the 
church  of  Rome,  and  the  pope,  as  her  head,  had  appeared 
as  Anti-Christ,  or  the  oppressor  of  the  true  church. 

The  origin  of  popery  therefore,  accurately  speaking, 
must  be  found  in  the  public  announcement  of  the  bishop 
of  Rome  as  universal  bishop,  or  supreme  head  of  the 
church.  This  event  occurred  near  the  beginning  of  the 
seventh  century,  under  the  following  circumstances. — 
After  the  conversion  of  the  emperor  Constantino  to  the 
Christian  faith,  and  in  consequence  of  the  affluence  of 
power  and  favor  which  some  of  the  chief  bishops  expe- 
rienced, they  began  to  feel  the  movings  of  ambition. 
From  their  intimacy  with  the  emperor,  they  were  soon 
led  to  affect  the  pomp  and  circumstance  of  imperial  dig- 
nity. The  bishop  of  Rome,  especially,  as  he  was  sta- 
tioned in  the  imperial  city,  began  to  feel  the  powerful 
workings  of  this  leaven.  He  would  have  all  the  world 
submit  to  him  in  matters  of  religion,  even  as  they  sub- 
mitted to  the  emperor  in  civil  matters.  But  the  world, 
or  the  churches  in  different  parts  of  the  vyorld,  was  not 
yet  prepared  for  this  domineering.  Some  bishops  of  the 
east  held  a  council  without  asking  leave  of  the  bishop  of 
Rome.  Julius,  the  bishop  at  that  day,  stormed  at  this 
presumption.    But  the  other  bishops,  knowing  this  to  be 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  27 

mere  usurpation,  treated  the  wrath  of  the  bishop  of  Rome 
with  contempt,  and  shortly  after  held  another  council  at 
Antioch.  But  the  pretensions  of  the  bishops  of  Rome 
continued  to  rise  and  strengthen  from  year  to  year,  until 
we  arrive  at  the  time  of  Gregory,  commonly  called  the 
great.  He,  though  in  many  respects  better  than  most  of 
his  successors  in  the  see  of  Rome,  was  still  intent  on  ex- 
tending the  power  of  his  office.  And,  though  under  great 
obligations  to  the  emperor  Mauritius,  and  bound  by  many 
professions  of  friendship,  no  sooner  was  the  emperor 
murdered  by  Phocas  the  rebel,  who  made  himself  empe- 
ror, than  Gregory  acknowledged  him,  sent  a  legate  to 
him,  and  afforded  him  all  the  assistance  in  his  power. 
He  received  from  this  abominable  tyrant  all  those  offices 
which  might  contribute  to  his  own  greatness.  And  thus 
he  raised  the  papacy  to  a  higher  degree  of  power  and 
wealth  than  it  had  ever  before  possessed. 

But  in  all  his  greatness  and  glory,  the  bishop  of  Rome 
had  a  powerful  rival,  who  had  also  fixed  his  eye  on  su- 
premacy ;  this  was  the  bishop  of  Constantinople.  The 
emperor  Constantine  had  removed  the  seat  of  the  empire 
to  the  city  called  after  his  own  name.  Constantinople 
became  an  imperial  city,  and  the  fact  soon  began  to  mani- 
fest its  natural  influence  in  the  feelings  and  aims  of  its 
bishops.  Violent,  and  for  a  time  doubtful,  was  the  strug- 
gle for  supreme  authority  between  the  bishops  of  the  two 
imperial  cities.  The  bishop  of  Constantinople,  however, 
appears  at  first  to  have  taken  the  lead  of  his  rival  at  Rome, 
in  climbing  the  ladder  of  ambition.  He  assumed  the  title 
of  universal  bishop,  and  had  at  least  the  authority  of  one 
council  and  the  consent  of  one  emperor  for  this  proceed- 
ing. But  when  these  tidings  reached  the  bishop  of  Rome, 
he  became  mightily  alarmed.  In  this  assumption  the 
bishop  of  Rome  could  see  blasphemy  and  diabolical  in- 
fluence :  he  even  discovered  Anti-Christ  himself  as  near 
at  hand.  He  saw  the  very  religion  of  Christ  in  immi- 
nent danger,  not  because  the  bishop  of  the  east  had  as- 


28  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

sumed  a  higher  title  than  was  due  to  him,  hut  because  the 
very  title  itself  implied  every  thing  that  was  impious. 
The  zeal  of  the  bishop  of  Rome  to  withstand  this  ap- 
proaching evil,  knew  no  bounds.  He  wrote  to  his  am- 
bassador at  the  court,  charging  him  to  exert  his  influence 
with  the  emperor  and  empress,  and  with  the  bishop  him- 
self, to  prevent  the  inroads  of  such  a  proud,  profane,  un- 
christian title  as  universal  bishop.  Gregory  also  wrote 
to  the  bishop  of  Constantinople,  and  remonstrated  with 
him  in  a  most  urgent  and  pathetic  strain,  loading  the  title 
of  universal  bishop  with  most  opprobrious  epithets.  He 
did  not  hesitate  to  call  it  vain,  ambitious,  execrable,  anti- 
christian,  blasphemous,  infernal,  and  diabolical.  He 
compares  him  who  assumes  this  title  to  liucifer,  and  pro- 
nounces the  assuiuptiuu  an  imitation  of  his  arrogance. 
The  Roman  bishop  also  declares  that  Peter,  Paul,  An- 
drew, and  John,  were  but  members  of  the  universal 
church,  and  none  of  them,  or  any  of  the  apostles,  pre- 
sumed to  be  called  its  head  or  bishop.  "•  And  now,"  said 
he  to  his  dear  brother  of  Constantinople^  "  if  none  of  the 
apostles  would  be  called  head  of  the  universal  church, 
what  will  you  answer  on  the  last  day  to  Christ,  who  is 
himself  the  only  universal  Head  ?  But  this  is  the  time," 
continues  he,  "which  Christ  himself  foretold  ;  the  earth 
is  now  laid  waste  and  destroyed  with  the  plague  and  the 
sword ;  all  things  that  have  been  predicted  are  now  ac- 
complished ;  the  king  of  pride,  that  is,  Anti-Christ,  is  at 
hand  ;  and,  what  I  dread  to  say,  an  army  of  priests  is 
ready  to  receive  him.  For  they  who  were  chosen  to  point 
out  to  others  the  way  of  meekness  and  humJIity,  are 
themselves  now  become  the  slaves  of  pride  and  ambition." 
The  attentive  reader  will  here  discover  important  tes- 
timony from  this  bishop  of  Rome  concerning  the  nature 
of  that  assumption  by  which  his  successors  have  been 
distinguished.  When  he  saw  popery  commencing  in  his 
rival,  he  could  preach  against  it  with  all  the  point  and 
power  of  a  Luther  or  Calvin.    And  however  inconsistent 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  589 

with  his  own  practice  or  that  of  his  successors,  the 
preaching  was  doubtless  good,  and  deserving  of  careful 
attention.  It  cuts  up  popery,  root  and  branch,  without 
mercy.        ' 

But  the  exhortations  of  Gregory  were  lost  on  his  dear 
brother  the  eastern  pope,  and  he  next  addressed  himself 
directly  to  the  emperor  Mauritius,  and  the  empress,  de- 
claiming against  the  anti-christian  title  and  bishop  as  dis- 
turbing the  peace  of  the  church,  and  the  order  of  Christ. 
But  he  was  no  more  successful  with  the  emperor  than 
with  the  bishop.  The  emperor,  in  fact,  favored  the  de- 
signs of  his  bishop,  as  suitable  for  the  bishop  of  what  he 
wished  to  be  considered  the  imperial  city.  And  perceiv- 
ing the  emperor  did  not  enter  into  his  views,  Gregory 
appears  to  have  become  disaffected  towards  him.  And 
when  the  emperor  and  his  children  were  murdered  by 
Phocas,  Gregory  could  riot  contain  his  joy.  He  wrote 
to  Phocas  in  the  most  flattering  style.  "  We,"  says  he, 
"  have  been  hitherto  most  grievously  afflicted  ;  but  the 
Almighty  hath  chosen  you  and  placed  you  on  the  impe- 
rial throne,  to  banish,  by  your  merciful  disposition,  all 
our  affliction  and  sorrows.  Let  the  heavens  therefore 
rejoice,  let  the  earth  leap  for  joy,  let  the  whole  people  re- 
turn thanks  for  so  happy  a  change.  May  the  republic 
long  enjoy  these  most  happy  times.  May  God,  with  his 
grace,  direct  your  heart  in  every  good  thought,  in  every 
good  deed  !  May  the  Holy  Ghost  that  dwells  in  your 
breast  ever  guide  and  assist  you,  and  that  you,  after  a 
long  course  of  years,  pass  from  an  earthly  and  temporal, 
to  an  everlasting  and  heavenly  kingdom." 

Gregory  probably  considered  the  power  of  universal 
bishop  safer  to  the  church  at  Rome  than  at  Constantinople. 
For  that  which  called  forth  all  this  extravagant  joy  and 
adulation  seems  to  have  been,  that  the  prerogatives  of  uni- 
versal bishop  were  now  in  the  way  to  be  transferred  from 
the  latter  to  the  former  see.  In  the  course  of  the  trans- 
fer, the  infernal,  diabolical,  blasphemous  and  anti-chris- 

3* 


30  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

tian  qualities  of  the  odious  title  appear,  in  Gregory's 
view,  to  have  fallen  off.  The  mutual  gratulations  of  the 
bishop  and  the  usurper,  seem  to  have  been  occasioned  by 
their  power  to  aid  each  other  in  their  designs  of  elevation. 
Thus  a  holy  father  of  Rome,  virtually  entered  into  a 
league  with  the  traitor  and  murderer  Phocas,  to  advance 
their  mutual  interests.  And  the  papists  are  welcome  to 
all  the  execrations  and  anathemas,  which  their  holy  father 
Gregory  pronounced  on  that  title,  by  which  the  bishops 
of  Rome  have  been  distinguished  from  the  time  of  Phocas 
till  now. 

In  the  event,  Phocas  was  proclaimed  emperor,  and 
though  Gregory  did  not  live  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  this  re- 
volution, though  he  did  not,  in  his  own  person,  become 
universal  bishop,  yet  Phocas  conferred  the  title  on  a  suc- 
cessor shortly  after.  This  successor,  who  was  properly 
the  first  pope,  was  Boniface  III.  He  prevailed  upon  the 
bloody  Phocas  to  revoke  the  decree  of  the  empire  which 
conferred  the  dignity  of  universal  bishop  on  the  prelate 
of  Constantinople,  and  obtained  a  new  decree  conferring 
this  title  on  himself  and  his  successors.  This  was  the 
origin  of  popery.  Here  commenced  that  system  of  spi- 
ritual domination,  which  has  covered  the  church  with 
sackcloth,  and  drenched  the  earth  with  blood. 

But  it  is  here  very  properly  inquired,  what  validity  had 
this  grant  or  decree  of  Phocas  to  constitute  a  bishop  of 
Rome  universal  bishop  ?  What  had  Phocas  to  do  with 
the  church  of  Christ,  which  is  not  of  this  world,  that  he 
should  presume  to  regulate  her  affairs  ?  The  transaction 
strongly  reminds  one  of  a  grant  which  was  attempted  to 
be  made  on  another  occasion ;  when  the  tempter  offered 
to  our  Saviour  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world,  and  the 
glory  of  them,  if  he  would  fall  down  at  his  feet  in  an  act 
of  worship.  Our  Saviour  promptly  refused  an  offer  so 
absurd  as  well  as  impious.  But  the  bishop  of  Rome,  on 
the  contrary,  was  satisfied  to  receive  his  grant  of  supreme 
authority  in  the  church,  from  one  who  had  as  little  right 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  31 

to  bestow  the  gift,  as  Satan  had  to  give  the  kingdoms  of 
the  world.  To  a  reflecting  mind  it  must  be  matter  of 
serious  objection  to  the  authority  of  the  pope,  that  it  was 
first  derived  from,  a  traitor  and  a  murderer.  But  with 
those  who  ground  the  claim  to  power  on  the  ability  to 
exercise  it,  such  considerations  will  have  but  little  v/eight. 
Whatever  might  have  been  the  right  or  the  wrong  in  the 
case,  the  power  was  real  and  effective ;  for  it  was  backed 
by  the  forces  of  the  empire,  at  the  nod  of  a  tyrant,  and 
it  has  been  in  many  cases  exercised  in  a  manner  worthy 
of  its  origin. 

The  pope,  in  consequence  of  this  grant,  became  a  god 
on  earth.  He  sat  in  the  temple  of  God,  showing  himself 
as  God.  And  no  sooner  did  he  find  himself  announced 
as  head  of  the  church,  than  he  took  measures  to  render 
this  dignity  something  more  than  a  sound  or  a  title.  He 
set  himself  at  work  to  make  the  most  of  his  grant,  and  se- 
cure his  acquisition.  He  immediately  called  a  council  at 
Rome,  and  procured  a  decree  that  no  election  of  a  bishop 
should  thenceforth  be  deemed  lawful  and  good,  unless  made 
by  the  people  and  clergy,  approved  by  the  prince  or  lord  of 
the  city,  and  confirmed  by  the  pope.  Thus  the  pope  held  a 
veto  over  all  appointments  in  the  church,  and  bound  to 
himself  all  the  bishops,  and  through  them,  all  the  inferior 
clergy,  and  through  them  again,  all  the  people.  So  that 
the  pope  became  absolute  monarch  of  the  whole  of  Chris- 
tendom. His  power,  however,  was  still  restricted  to  ec- 
clesiastical affairs.  Another  kind  of  power  was  necessary 
to  satisfy  his  ambition,  and  enable  him  to  fulfil  all  his  de- 
signs. A  temporal  sceptre,  and  the  command  of  an 
armed  force,  were  deemed  indispensable  to  his  plans. 
To  effect  this  purpose  he  resorted  to  another  traitor, 
whose  rebellion  and  usurpation  he  encouraged,  and  by 
whose  favor  he  obtained  the  sovereign  power  over  cer- 
tain portions  of  rich  territory  in  Italy,  such  as  the  king- 
dom of  the  Heruli,  of  the  Ostrogoths,  and  of  Lombardy, 
and  the  exarchate  of  Ravenna.     The  man  who  was  the 


32  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

instrument  of  this  accession  to  papal  power  was  Pepin, 
the  usurping  king  of  France.  This  Pepin  was  chief 
counsellor  and  commander  under  Childeric,  the  lawful 
king  of  the  Franks.  The  king  was  a  weak  prince,  and 
confided  greatly  in  his  chief  counsellor,  Pepin,  who 
thought  himself  more  fit  to  reign  than  his  sovereign,  and 
waited  only  for  some  pretext  under  which  to  execute  his 
purpose.  He  resolved  to  take  the  opinion  of  the  pope 
on  the  following  abstract  question,  viz.,  *'  Who  best  de- 
serves the  honor  of  a  king,  he  who  has  the  power,  or  he 
who  has  only  the  title?"  The  crafty  pope,  to  whom 
the  question  was  proposed,  at  once  comprehended  its  im- 
port, and  declared  that  in  his  opinion  he  ought  to  be  con- 
sidered the  king,  who  possessed  the  power,  rather  than 
he  who  had  the  title.  The  aspiring  Pepin  now  had, 
what  he  considered,  divine  authority  for  dethroning  his 
sovereign,  which  he  did.  As  a  natural  consequence,  the 
pope  would  now  look  to  Pepin  for  aid  in  time  of  need. 
The  occasion  was  not  slow  to  occur.  The  pope,  having 
a  quarrel  with  the  king  of  the  Lombards,  and  being  una- 
ble to  resist  that  powerful  prince,  applied,  with  great 
earnestness,  to  Pepin  for  succour.  The  king  of  the 
Franks  could  not  but  acknowledge  his  obligations  to  his 
holiness  the  pope,  and  brought  to  his  aid  such  a  force  as 
made  the  king  of  the  Lombards  quickly  submit,  and  pro- 
mise to  give  up  the  territory  he  had  severed  from  the 
empire,  not  to  its  rightful  owner,  but  to  the  pope.  But 
no  sooner  had  Pepin  withdrawn  from  the  scene  of  con- 
flict, than  the  Lombard  king  violated  all  his  engage- 
ments, and  attacked  the  pope  afresh.  He  laid  siege  to 
Rome  itself,  and  was  at  the  point  of  taking  the  holy  city, 
when  the  pope,  in  his  distress,  sent  the  following  epistle 
to  the  king  of  the  Franks  : — "  To  defend  the  church  is  of 
all  works  most  meritorious,  and  that  to  which  is  reserved 
the  greatest  reward  in  the  world  to  come.  God  might 
himself  have  defended  his  church,  or  have  raised  up 
others  to  defend  the  just  rights  of  his  apostle,  St.  Peter. 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  33 

But  it  pleased  him  to  choose  you,  my  most  excellent  son, 
out  of  the  whole  human  race,  for  that  holy  purpose. 
For  it  was  in  compliance  with  his  divine  inspiration  and 
command  that  I  applied  to  you,  that  I  came  into  your 
kingdom,  that  I  exhorted  you  to  espouse  the  cause  of  his 
beloved  apostle,  and  your  great  protector,  St.  Peter.  You 
espoused  his  cause  accordingly,  and  your  zeal  for  his 
honor  was  quickly  rewarded  by  a  signal  and  miraculous 
victory.  But  St.  Peter,  my  most  excellent  son,  has  not 
yet  reaped  the  least  advantage  from  so  glorious  a  victory, 
though  owing  entirely  to  him.  The  perfidious  and 
wicked  Astulphus  (the  king  of  the  Lombards)  has  not 
yet  yielded  to  him  one  foot  of  ground ;  nay,  unmindful 
of  his  oath,  and  actuated  by  the  devil,  he  has  begun 
hostilities  anew ;  and  bidding  defiance  both  to  you  and 
St.  Peter,  threatens  iis  and  the  whole  Roman  empire 
with  death  and  destruction."  The  pope,  however,  dare 
not  trust  too  much  to  the  influence  of  his  own  eloquence 
upon  the  mind  of  the  French  king.  He  pretended  to 
have  procured  an  epistle  from  St.  Peter  himself,  which 
he  sent  to  Pepin  as  a  genuine  production  of  his  great 
predecessor  in  the  see  of  Rome.  The  following  is  an 
extract  from  the  said  letter  of  St.  Peter  : — "  Simon  Peter, 
a  servant  and  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  the  three  most 
excellent  kings,  Pepin,  Charles,  and  Carloman,  (the  two 
last  were  sons  of  Pepin,)  to  all  the  holy  bishops,  abbots, 
presbyters,  and  monks,  to  all  the  dukes,  counts,  com- 
manders of  the  French  army,  and  to  the  whole  people 
of  France,  grace  unto  you  and  peace  be  multiplied. 
I  am  the  apostle  Peter,  to  whom  it  was  said,  thou  art  Pe- 
ter, and  upon  this  rock,  &c.  Feed  my  sheep,  <fec.  And 
I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys,  &c.  As  this  was  all  said 
to  me  in  particular,  all  who  hearken  to  me,  and  obey  my 
exhortations,  may  persuade  themselves  and  firmly  believe 
that  their  sins  are  forgiven  them.  Hearken  therefore  to 
me,  Peter  the  apostle  and  servant  of  Jesus  Christ ;  and 
since  I  have  preferred  you  to  all  the  nations  of  the  earth, 


34  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

hasten,  I  beseech  and  conjure  you,  if  you  care  to  be 
cleansed  from  your  sins,  and  to  earn  an  eternal  reward, 
hasten  to  the  relief  of  my  city,  of  my  church,  of  the 
people  committed  to  my  care,  ready  to  fall  into  the  hands 
of  the  wicked  Lombards,  their  merciless  enemies.  It 
has  pleased  the  Almighty  that  my  body  should  rest  in 
this  city,  the  body  that  has  suffered,  for  the  sake  of  Christ, 
such  exquisite  torments ;  and  can  you,  my  most  Chris- 
tian sons,  stand  by  unconcerned,  and  see  it  insulted  by 
the  most  wicked  of  nations  ?  No,  let  it  never  be  said, 
and  it  will  I  hope  never  be  said,  that  I,  the  apostle  of 
Tesus  Christ,  that  my  apostolic  church,  the  foundation  of 
the  faith,  that  my  flock  recommended  to  you  by  me  and 
my  vicar,  have  trusted  in  you,  but  trusted  in  vain.  Our 
lady,  the  Virgin  Mary,  the  mother  of  God,  joins  ear- 
nestly entreating,  nay,  and  commands  yoTi  to  hasten,  to 
run,  to  fly,  to  the  relief  of  my  favorite  people,  reduced 
almost  to  the  last  gasp,  and  calling,  in  that  extremity, 
night  and  day  upon  her,  and  upon  me.  The  thrones 
and  dominions,  the  principalities  and  the  powers,  and  the 
whole  multitude  of  the  heavenly  host,  entreat  you,  to- 
gether with  us,  not  to  delay,  but  to  come  with  all  possi- 
ble speed,  and  rescue  my  chosen  flock  from  the  jaws  of 
the  ravening  wolves,  ready  to  devour  them.  My  vicar 
might  in  this  extremity  have  recurred,  and  not  in  vain, 
to  other  nations :  but  with  me  the  French  are,  and  ever 
have  been,  the  first,  the  best,  the  most  deserving  of  all 
nations ;  and  I  would  not  suffer  the  reward,  the  exceed- 
ing great  reward,  that  is  reserved  in  this  and  the  other 
world  for  those  who  shall  deliver  my  people,  to  be  earned 
by  any  other." — (Bower's  Lives  of  the  Popes.) 

It  so  happened,  however,  that  Pepin  had  begun  his 
march  toward  Italy,  before  this  letter  of  St.  Peter  reached 
him,  so  that  the  apostle,  in  a  great  measure,  lost  his 
labor.  The  king  of  the  Lombards  was  subdued,  and  his 
territory  bestowed  upon  the  see  of  Rome.  This  com- 
pleted the  elevation  of  the  Romish  bishop,  and  changed 


HISTORY    OF     POPERY.  36 

his  church  into  an  apostate  church.  For  Christ  ex- 
pressly says,  "  My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world."  This 
event  took  place  in  the  year  756. 


SECTION    II. 

EVENTS    PRECEDING,    AND    CONTRIBUTING    TO,    THE 
RISE    OF    POPERY. 

Although  the  origin  of  popery  was  in  the  early  part 
of  the  seventh  century,  yet  the  spirit  and  leaven  of  it  had 
been  previously  working  in  the  visible  church,  and  the 
way  had  gradually  been  preparing  for  this  apostacy. 
Paul  says  of  his  own  time,  **the  mystery  of  iniquity 
doth  already  work."  An  ambitious  spirit  was  even  then 
creeping  into  the  church,  which  the  apostle  foresaw 
would  lead  to  the  grand  apostacy.  But  in  the  ages  im- 
mediately preceding  the  rise  of  popery,  several  remarka- 
ble events  occurred  which  greatly  accelerated  its  advance 
to  unlimited  power.  A  few  of  these  it  may  be  profitable 
to  mention. 

1.  The  favor  of  secular  power  and  influence  under 
Constantine  and  his  successors. 

Until  the  conversion  of  Constantine,  the  visible  church 
had  to  contend  with  the  Beast  of  the  Pagan  Roman  em- 
pire. By  the  persecutions  of  this  power,  the  spirit  of 
ambition  in  the  visible  church  was  in  a  great  measure 
repressed,  and  the  mystery  of  iniquity,  which  secretly 
worked  in  the  breasts  of  individuals,  was  hindered  from 
development.  And  thus  according  to  the  prediction 
of  Paul :  ''  He  that  ietteth,  (or  hindereth,)  will  let,  (or 
hinder,)  till  he  be  taken  out  of  the  way."  But  at  length 
the  Pagan  empire,  called  the  beast,  received  a  deadly 
wound  in  the  conversion  of  the  emperor  Constantine, 


36  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

and  the  consequent  subversion  of  paganism  as  the  reli- 
gion of  the  empire.  This  event  occurred  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  fourth  century.  Then  it  was  that  worldly 
favor  and  wealth  began  to  flow  into  the  Christian  church. 
Constantine  built  and  endowed  many  churches  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  his  dominions  ;  he  received  the  bishops  into 
his  confidence,  and  lavished  upon  them  his  gifts.  To 
Sylvester,  bishop  of  Rome,  the  emperor  paid  particular 
respect,  and  is  said  to  have  presented  him  with  a  rich 
crown,  which  he  left  to  his  successors.  From  that  day, 
as  every  one  will  readily  see,  the  bishop  of  Rome  must 
have  appeared  in  a  new  light  in  the  view  of  the  sur- 
rounding world.  A  cro^vn  of  gold  now  took  the  place 
of  the  crown  of  martyrdom.  And  no  one  can  be  at  loss 
which  would  most  influence  the  carnal  mind.  Religion 
itself  now  put  on  a  new  and  attractive  dress,  and  was 
decked  with  the  signals  of  imperial  and  courtly  favor. 
Thus  ample  scope  was  given  to  ambition  within  the  sa- 
cred enclosures  of  the  church,  and  temptations  were  pre- 
sented to  unconverted  men,  those  who  were  mere  heathen 
in  principle,  to  profess  Christianity  as  a  passport  to  places 
of  power  and  honor.  Especially  were  such  men  tempted 
to  insinuate  themselves  into  the  ministry,  that  they  might 
at  least  be  candidates  for  the  golden  crown.  The  pos- 
session of  a  crown  seems  to  have  suggested  to  the  bishops 
of  Rome  the  idea  of  obtaining  the  power  and  authority 
of  which  the  crown  was  an  emblem.  And  certain  it  is 
that,  from  the  days  of  Constantine,  these  bishops  never 
lost  sight  of  this  object  till  it  was  fully  attained. 

But  Constantine  went  still  farther  towards  the  intro- 
duction of  clerical  and  papal  supremacy,  by  uniting  the 
civil  and  ecclesiastical  power,  or  what  is  sometimes 
called  church  and  state,  in  his  own  person.  He  de- 
clared himself  the  head  of  the  church,  especially  as  to 
the  external  administration  of  its  affairs.  He  was  pre- 
sent at  the  Council  of  Nice,  and  confirmed  all  its  acts 
and  decrees,  and  sent  them  back,  thus  confirmed,  to  the 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  37 

bishop  of  Rome  to  be  propagated.  This  course  of  the 
emperor,  while  it  shows  conclusively  that  the  supremacy 
of  the  Roman  bishop  was  not  then  admitted  even  at  Rome, 
still  suggests  the  possibility,  and  the  temporal  advan- 
tage, of  uniting  the  secular  and  clerical  powers  in  one 
person.  And  if  the  emperor  might  proclaim  himself 
head  of  the  church,  much  more  might  a  bishop  do  it,  if 
he  could  find  a  suitable  occasion.  And  if  the  emperor 
might  take  the  government  of  the  church  into  his  hands, 
why  might  not  the  bishop  also  grasp  at  secular  power, 
and  become  a  temporal  prince,  if  he  could  ?  But  Con- 
stantino did  still  more ;  he  secularized  the  church,  by 
fashioning  its  polity  after  the  pattern  of  his  empire.  For 
the  greater  security  of  his  government,  he  divided  his 
empire  into  provmces,  over  which  were  placed  princes 
that  stood  next  in  rank  to  himself.  And  he  endeavored, 
we  are  tol4>  to  conform  the  government  of  the  church, 
as  much  as  possible,  to  that  of  the  commonwealth.  He 
divided  the  church  into  provinces,  and  thus  had  princes 
among  the  bishops.  The  bishops  of  Rome,  Antioch, 
Alexandria,  and  Constantinople,  after  the  imperial  resi- 
dence was  transferred  to  that  city,  were  denominated 
Patriarchs.  Next  to  these  came  the  exarchs,  who  pre- 
sided over  several  provinces.  And  next  were  the  metro- 
politans, who  governed  single  provinces.  After  them 
were  the  archbishops,  who  had  the  oversight  of  particu- 
lar districts ;  and  last,  the  bishops,  Avhose  jurisdiction 
was  more  or  less  extensive  according  to  circumstances. 
But  first  among  the  princes  of  the  church  was  the  bishop 
of  Rom.e.  And  this  pre-eminence  was  founded  not  only 
on  popular  feeling  of  long  standing,  but  also  on  those 
grounds  which  commonly  afford  distinction.  He  lived  in 
the  imperial  city,  and  from  that  single  circumstance  would 
be  esteemed  very  naturally  the  primate  of  the  church. 
He  also  exceeded  all  other  bishops  in  his  wealth  and; 
splendor,  as  being  the  companion  and  favorite  of  the  em-\ 
peror.     And  so  attractive  were  these  embellishments  of 

4 


36  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

the  office,  that,  even  in  this  age,  obstinate  and  bloody  con- 
tests took  place  at  Rome  when  a  new  Pontiff  was  to  be 
chosen.  Such  was  the  contest  in  the  year  366,  between 
Do  mas  us  and  Ursicinus,  when  many  lives  were  lost,  and 
many  buildings  burnt. 

In  the  arrangements  of  Constantino  we  have  the  first 
example  of  a  religious  establishment,  or  an  union  of 
church  and  state.  And  it  stands  as  a  warning  to  all 
future  generations.  For,  though  well  intended  by  the 
emperor,  his  system  of  church  polity,  and  his  favor  inju- 
diciously bestowed,  was  a  greater  calamity  to  the  church, 
a  greater  injury  to  true  religion,  than  all  the  preceding 
persecutions  of  paganism.  A  very  natural  consequence 
of  the  exaltation  and  grandeur  of  the  officers  of  the 
church,  and  especially  the  bishop  of  Rome,  was  to  lead 
them  to  desire  an  extension  of  power.  And  from  being 
placed  next  to  the  emperor,  the  bishop  of  Rome  would 
very  naturally  aspire  to  his  place,  and  even  to  be  exalted 
above  him.  In  the  course  of  events  during  a  few  suc- 
ceeding centuries,  the  system  thus  put  in  motion  resulted 
in  popery. 

2.  Another  event  which  prepared  the  way  for  the  rise 
of  popery  was  the  decline  of  science. 

Opulence  in  the  church  and  among  the  clergy  was 
followed  by  carnal  indulgence,  and  that  by  sloth,  and 
that  by  profound  ignorance.  The  lamp  of  science  began 
to  grow  dim  just  as  soon  as  the  treasures  of  the  empire 
began  to  flow  in  upon  the  church.  And  as  the  cause 
and  the  effect  continued  to  increase  through  successive 
generations,  the  lamp  finally  went  out,  and  left  the 
church  in  the  gloom  of  the  dark  ages.  Instead  of  men- 
tal cultivation,  or  useful  knowledge,  the  minds  of  men 
were  occupied  and  besotted  with  legendary  tales  of  saints 
and  their  exploits,  with  traditionary  records  of  visions 
and  miracles,  and  with  absurd  dogmas  of  whining  monks. 
In  this  way,  while  the  pretensions  and  assumptions  of 
the   bishop   of  Rome  were  constantly  increasing,  the 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  39 

power  of  the  human  mind  to  withstand  these  encroach- 
ments, and  to  detect  the  various  and  gross  impositions 
by  which  the  Roman  pontiff  insinuated  himself  into  su- 
preme power,  was  proportionably  diminishing.  It  has 
indeed  become  a  favorite  maxim  with  papists,  that  igno- 
rance is  the  mother  of  devotion,  of  such  devotion  they 
mean,  as  makes  and  secures  devotees  to  popery.  And 
no  wonder  they  teach  this,  when  ignorance  is  one  of  the 
grand  pillars  on  which  their  system  rests.  If  men  had 
not  become  extremely  ignorant,  the  pope  would  never 
have  been  able  to  persuade  them  that  he  was  the  official 
successor  of  St.  Peter,  and  the  vicegerent  of  Christ ;  that 
he  held  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  to  open  and 
shut  it  at  his  pleasure ;  that  he  could  forgive  sins  ;  that 
he  was  infallible  ;  and  that  all  the  followers  of  Christ  on 
earth  are  bound  to  bow  down  to  him.  A  rational  mind 
that  can  believe  this  of  any  man,  must  be  extremely  de- 
based. 

Popery,  true  to  her  own  interests,  has  ever  been  the 
sworn  enemy  to  learning  and  science,  except  so  far  as 
they  might  be  made  subservient  to  her  own  aggrandize- 
ment. True,  she  has  colleges  and  schools  in  great  num- 
bers, and  generously  offers  to  educate  the  children  of 
protegtants,  if  they  may  be  sent  to  her  cloisters.  But 
what  is  her  education,  but  an  education  in  the  princi- 
ples of  popery  ?  And  what  of  science  or  literature  is  found 
in  her  colleges,  is  so  alloyed  with  her  superstitions,  as 
completely  to  neutralize  its  power.  To  know,  think  and 
judge  for  himself,  is  the  last  thing  which  popery  will  al- 
low to  one  of  her  votaries.  For  no  other  crime  than  dis- 
coveries in  science,  and  the  adoption  of  the  copernican 
system,  Galileo  was  condemned  to  the  prisons  of  the  In- 
quisition, and  was  in  imminent  peril  of  being  burnt  at 
the  stake.  As  popery  has  ever  found  the  atmosphere  of 
ignorance  so  congenial,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
decline  of  learning  and  science,  in  consequence  of  the  ex- 
ternal prosperity  of  the  church,  had  a  material  influence 


40  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

in  preparing  the  way  for  its  advance  and  final  establish- 
ment. She  who  cannot  live  in  the  light,  certainly  could 
not  have  arisen,  and  taken  her  seat  of  supremacy  unless 
favored  by  darkness. 

3.  Another  event  which  prepared  the  way  for  the  rise 
of  popery,  was  the  neglect  of  the  scriptures. 

It  is  evident  at  first  sight  that  popery  must  have  some 
other  standard  of  faith  and  practice  than  the  revealed 
word  of  God.  For  at  this  tribunal,  it  is  impossible  for 
the  greatest  human  sagacity  to  avoid  conviction  and  con- 
demnation in  respect  to  the  claims  of  popery.  She  has 
therefore  contrived  to  erect  another  standard  by  the  intro- 
duction of  tradition,  which  is  more  flexible  and  accom- 
modating ;  and  which  in  fact  may  be  made  any  thing  or 
nothing,  just  as  occasion  requires.  Without  a  standard 
of  this  kind,  it  is  evident  popery  could  never  have  gained 
a  standing  in  the  church.  The  scriptures  therefore  be- 
gan to  go  into  disuse,  as  prosperity  and  power  began  to 
accumulate  in  the  church.  And  though  the  bible  did  not 
become  at  once  a  prohibited  book,  and  though  in  the  form 
of  a  translation  into  the  latin  language,  it  -vvas  tolerated 
for  a  season,  yet  it  was  in  fact  practically  set  aside  by  the 
introduction 'of  other  standards  of  faith,  and  other  tests  of 
piety.  Thus  the  neglect  of  the  scriptures  prepared  the 
way  for  the  development  of  anti-christ.  And  the  increase 
of  this  power  was  in  exact  proportion  to  the  neglect  with 
which  the  bible  "was  treated,  until  at  length  the  scriptures 
were  virtually  suppressed  by  being  locked  up  in  a  dead 
language  which  none  of  the  common  people  understood, 
and  by  being  discountenanced  as  a  book  to  be  read  or  exa- 
mined, if  it  was  not  positively  forbidden.  Thus  the  bible 
continued  an  exile  from  the  church  till  the  time  of  Peter 
Waldo,  who  gave  a  partial  translation  in  the  French  lan- 
guage. After  him  Wickliffe,  and  then  other  reformers 
undertook  the  work  of  restoring  the  bible  to  the  people  of 
God,  until  at  length  Luther  and  his  associates,  brought 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  41 

forth  this  lamp  and  put  in  the  hands  of  the  pilgrims  to 
Zion. 

Thus  it  is  evident  that  the  bible  and  popery  have  no  \ 
common  interest.  For  the  rise  of  one  has  always  been  ' 
the  fall  of  the  other. 

4.  Another  event  which  prepared  the  way  for  the  rise 
of  popery  was  the  introduction  of  images  and  the  rites  of 
idolatry  into  the  Christian  church. 

When  the  primitive  Christians  had  to  contend  with  pa- 
ganism, they  were  strenuous  to  maintain  the  distinction 
between  their  religionand  that  of  their  heathen  neighbors. 
They  would  not  consent  to  the  proposition  to  place  Jesus 
among  the  tutelar  gods  of  the  Roman  empire,  and  to  wor- 
ship him  in  common  with  the  great  family  of  the  pan- 
theon. For  this  singularity  and  esteemed  obstinacy,  the 
christians  were  hated  and  persecuted  ;  and  by  this  perse- 
cution they  were  purified  and  preserved  from  the  leaven 
of  ambition.  But  at  length  the  tables  were  turned,  Christi- 
anity was  placed  in  the  ascendant,  and  an  order  went 
forth  from  the  emperor  that  all  pagan  temples  should  be 
demolished,  and  pagan  rites  be  abandoned.  This  change 
led  many  pagans  to  seek  admission  to  the  Christian 
church.  And  so  flattering  was  the  fact  to  those  who 
were  then  guardians  to  the  interests  of  true  religion,  that 
they  threw  open  the  doors  of  the  church,  and  admitted 
great  numbers  on  their  consenting  to  assume  the  name 
of  Christian  and  be  baptized.  Thus  it  is  related  that  Con- 
stantine,  having  vanquished  various  nations  of  Goths  on 
the  Danube,  and  the  Sarmatians,  engaged  great  numbers 
of  them  to  become  Christians.  But  a  still  larger  part  of 
them  remained  pagans  until  the  time  of  Valens,  who  per- 
mitted them  to  pass  the  Danube,  and  inhabit  the  coun- 
tries on  the  other  side,  on  condition  they  would  become 
subject  to  the  Roman  laws,  and  would  embrace  Christi- 
anity. To  this  condition  their  king  consented.  And 
though  real  conversions  may  have  taken  place,  yet  in 
many  instances,  becoming  Christians  on  the  part  of  pa- 

4* 


42  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

gans  seems  to  have  been  a  point  of  mere  national  policy. 
By  this  means  the  spirit  of  paganism  was  gradually  trans- 
ferred to  the  Christian  church ;  and  of  course  the  rites 
of  paganism  would  be  likely  to  follow.  Besides,  the 
forms  of  Christian  worship  were  found  much  too  simple 
and  unostentatious  to  suit  these  numerous  converts  from 
the  splendid  rites  of  idolatry.  Their  taste  was  for  some- 
thing more  attractive  to  the  senses,  and  the  Christian 
bishops  began  to  feel  that  they  suffered  some  disadvantage 
from  this  quarter,  and  were  desirous  of  conforming  their 
ceremonies  more  to  the  taste  of  the  age.  Thus,  in  their 
judgment,  not  only  the  converts  from  heathenism  would 
be  better  satisfied,  but  those  who  were  not  converted 
would  be  more  likely  to  come  over  to  the  ranks  of  Chris- 
tianity, when  they  saw  her  temples  eclipsing  the  temples 
of  idols  in  external  pomp.  On  this  ground  the  simplicity 
of  the  Gospel,  which  had  been  greatly  maintained  under 
the  pressure  of  persecution,  began  to  be  abandoned, 
and  various  superstitious  rites,  to  be  introduced.  The 
virgin  Mary  was  brought  forward  as  an  object  of  vene- 
ration, and  finally  of  idolatrous  worship.  In  her  train, 
a  list  of  saints,  was  made  to  take  the  place  of  ancient 
heroes  and  demi-gods,  and  in  the  result,  images  were  in- 
troduced into  the  places  of  Christian  worship,  and  the 
whole  apparatus  of  heathenism  was  revived,  under  Chris- 
tian names  and  forms.  To  perceive  the  justness  of  these 
remarks,  we  have  only  to  advert  to  a  few  historical  facts. 
In  the  fourth  century  the  virgin  Mary  was  worshipped 
by  a  sect  called  Collyridians,  from  the  cakes  which  they 
offered  to  this  supposed  goddess.  They  held  that  St. 
Mary  ought  to  be  honored  and  appeased  with  libations, 
sacrifices  and  offerings  of  cakes.  It  was  their  practice 
to  dress  out  a  car,  or  square  throne,  spread  it  over  with  a 
linen  cloth,  and  on  a  clear  day,  once  a  year,  to  place  on 
it  during  the  day  aloaf  of  bread  or  cake,  which  they  of- 
fered to  the  virgin  Mary.  These  persons  were  supposed 
converts  from  paganism,   and  while  pagans,  they  had 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  43 

been  accustomed  to  bake  and  present  to  the  goddess 
Venus,  or  Astarte  (the  Moon,)  certain  cakes  which  were 
called  Collyrides.  And  when  they  became  nominal 
Christians,  they  supposed  this  honor  might  best  be  be- 
stowed on  Mary. 

In  the  fifth  century,  that  is  the  century  immediately 
succeeding  the  conversion  of  Constantine,  and  the  conse- 
quent change  in  the  established  religion  of  the  empire, 
the  rites  and  ceremonies  of  the  church  were  so  multiplied, 
that  a  learned  historian  remarks,  "  To  recount  all  the  re- 
gulations made  in  this  century,  respecting  the  mode  of 
worship,  and  religious  rites,  and  institutions,  would  re- 
quire a  volume  of  considerable  size.  The  magnificence 
of  the  temples  knew  no  bounds.  Splendid  images  were 
placed  in  them  ;  and  among  these,  after  the  Nestorian 
contests,  the  image  of  the  virgin  Mary  holding  her  infant 
in  her  arms,  occupied  the  most  conspicuous  station. 
Altars  and  repositories  for  relics  made  of  solid  silver,  if 
possible,  Avere  procured  in  various  places,  from  "which 
may  easily  be  conjectured,  what  must  have  been  the 
splendor  and  the  expense  of  the  other  sacred  utensils." 

In  the  first  century  also,  commenced  the  practice  of 
celebrating  the  Lord's  supper  at  the  sepulchres  of  the 
martyrs,  and  at  funerals,  when  arose  the  practice  of  say- 
ing masses,  or  prayers  for  the  saints,  and  for  the  dead. 

This  practice  it  is  well  known,  is  derived  from  the 
heathen  practice  of  sacrificing  to  the  manes  of  the  dead. 
The  bread  and  wine  were  elevated  before  distribution, 
that  they  might  be  seen  by  the  people,  and  be  viewed  with 
reverence  and  adoration.  Hence  arose  the  practice  of 
elevating  the  host,  and  worshipping  the  symbols  as  a  real 
divinity. 

The  ancient  Lupercalia  of  the  heathen,  or  the  day  of 
Proserpine,  when  her  mother  Ceres  was  represented  to 
have  searched  for  her  with  lighted  candles,  was  called  the 
day  of  the  purification  of  the  blessed  virgin  Mary,  and 
fixed  on  the  2nd  of  February.     And,  as  it  was  still  cele- 


44  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

brated  by  lightings  candles,  in  imitation  of  the  ancient  lu- 
percalia,  it  is  called  in  the  Christian  calendar,  CaiidU- 
mass. 

Thus  the  business  of  introducing  heathen  rites  and 
image  worship  in  Christian  temples,  was  a  precursor  of 
popery.  This  practice  was  indeed  afterwards  carried  to 
much  greater  lengths,  and  will  merit  more  particular  at- 
tention when  we  come  to  speak  of  popish  superstitions. 
But  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  influence  of  heathen- 
ism, introduced  into  the  Christian  church  by  a  too  hasty 
and  indiscriminate  admission  of  nominal  converts,  pre- 
pared the  way  for  that  corruption  of  Christianity,  and 
that  apostacy  from  its  pure  doctrines,  and  its  spiritual 
worship,  which  have  been  the  universal  characteristics 
of  the  papal  church. 


SECTION    III. 

AN  EXAMINATION  OF  THE  POPISH  ARGUMENT  IN  SUP- 
PORT OF  THE  SUPREMACY,  &C.  OF  THE  BISHOP  OF 
ROME. 

As  the  papists  make  a  show  of  argument  in  support  of 
popery,  and  as  this  argument  is  not  destitute  of  specious- 
ness  and  plausibility,  it  may  be  proper,  before  proceeding 
farther  in  historical  statements,  to  give  this  argument  a 
passing  notice.  The  argument  in  question,  if  it  be  cor- 
rectly apprehended,  is  founded  on  the  following  claims, 
viz.  The  claim  of  succession  to  St.  Peter.  The  claim 
from  the  necessity  of  the  case.  And  the  claim  from  mi- 
racles and  supernatural  testimony. 

1.  It  is  claimed  that  the  bishop  of  Rome  is  the  official 
successor  of  the  apostle  Peter,  and  therefore  the  supreme 
head  of  the  church  on  earth. 

The  premises  in  this  claim  are  two,  viz.     That  Peter 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  45 

was  constituted  supreme  head  of  the  church.  And  that 
the  pope  is  the  official  successor  of  Peter.  Then  follows 
the  conclusion  ;  ergo,  the  pope  is  the  supreme  head  of 
the  church  on  earth.  The  first  thing  to  be  done  in  ana- 
lyzing this  argument,  is  to  direct  our  attention  to  the 
premises.  How  then  does  it  appear  that  Peter  was  con- 
stituted supreme  head  of  the  church  ? 

Why,  says  the  papist,  it  is  very  plain  from  the  words 
of  our  Saviour,  "  Thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  I 
will  build  my  church,  and  the  gates  of  Hell  shall  not  pre- 
vail against  it."  The  absurdity  of  supposing  that  this 
declaration  of  Christ,  was  intended  to  constitute  Peter 
the  supreme  head  of  the  church,  is  manifest  from  a  sin- 
gle consideration.  After  this  declaration  of  Christ,  Peter 
denied  his  master ;  the  gates  of  Hell  did  prevail  against 
Peter  ;  and,  if  he  were  the  supreme  head  or  foundation  of 
th6  church,  thep,  if  the  foundation  was  prevailed  against,, 
what  must  have  become  of  the  church  itself.  If  Peter 
was  worsted  and  overcome  by  the  tempter,  as  he  surely 
was,  where  was  the  church  that  was  built  on  this  rock  ! 
Surely  if  the  foundation  falls,  that  which  is  built  upon  it 
must  fall  w^th  it.  In  a  word,  there  is  manifest  absurdity 
in  supposing  that  Christ  meant  to  say,  that  his  church 
was  built  on  an  erring  imperfect  man,  as  Peter  proved 
himself  to  be.  Another  inconsistency  of  this  supposition 
ought  here  to  be  noted,  and  that  is  its  entire  contradic- 
tion of  the  testimony  of  Paul.  "  Other  foundation  can  no 
man  lay  than  that  is  laid,  that  is  Christ."  Now  if  the 
church  was  really  built  on  Peter,  then,  not  only  can  a 
man  lay  other  foundation,  but  he  can  himself  be  this 
foundation.  But  what  is  the  import  of  the  passage, 
"  Thou  art  Peter,  &c."  To  answer  this  inquiry  correct- 
ly, we  must  take  the  passage  in  its  connexion.  Christ 
had  been  asking  his  disciples  what  the  general  opinion 
concerning  him  was.  They  told  him  according  to  what 
they  had  heard.  But  says  he,  "  who  say  ye  that  I 
am?     And   Simon  Peter  answered  and   said,  thou  art 


46  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

the  Christ  the  Son  of  the  living  God.  And  Jesus  an- 
swered and  said  unto  him,  blessed  art  thou  Simon  Bar- 
jonah,  for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  it  unto  thee, 
but  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven.  And  I  say  also  unto 
thee,  thou  art  Peter  (Petros,)  and  upon  this  rock  (Petra)  I 
will  build  my  church  and  the  gates  of  Hell  shall  not  pre- 
vail against  it."  In  the  first  chapter  of  John  we  have  a 
similar  address  to  Simon  in  the  following  terms.  "  Thou 
art  Simon  the  son  of  Jona,  thou  shalt  be  called  Cephas, 
which  is  by  interpretation  a  stone."  Cephas  was  a  Syriac 
word,  which  was  rendered  in  Greek  by  the  word  Petros, 
i.  e.  a  stone.  But  there  is  a  difference  between  Petros  a 
stone,  and  Petra,  a  rock.  One  can  be  turned  over  and 
moved  from  its  place,  while  the  other  is  immoveable.  To 
say  then  to  Peter,  thou  art  a  moveable  stone,  and  upon 
this  immoveable  rock,  meaning  Peter,  would  be  to  speak 
nonsense.  The  fact  is,  that  the  foundation  of  which 
Christ  spake,  was  something  as  different  from  Peter,  as 
a  rock  is  from  a  stone.  It  was  the  truth  which  Peter 
had  just  stated,  viz.  "  Thou  art  Christ  the  son  of  the 
living  God."  The  following  translation  has  been  sug- 
gested as  more  agreeable  to  the  original.  "  I  say  also 
unto  thee,  thou  art  a  stone,  but  upon  this,  (truth,)  the 
rock,  I  will  build  my  church,  &c."  But  says  the  papist, 
the  keys,  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  were  given 
to  Peter,  as  stated  in  the  following  verse.  To  this  it 
may  be  replied,  that  though  Peter  was  addressed  because 
he  had  spoken,  yet  he  had  spoken  in  the  name  and  be- 
half of  the  rest,  and  was  therefore  addressed  in  their 
name  and  in  their  behalf.  In  confirmation  of  this,  see  the 
address  of  Christ  of  similar  import,  on  another  occasion, 
to  ail  the  apostles  without  distinction.  John  xx,  21 — 23. 
*'  Then  said  Jesus  to  them  again,  peace  be  unto  you  ; 
as  my  Father  hath  sent  me,  even  so  send  I  you.  And 
when  he  had  said  this  he  breathed  on  them,  and  said  unto 
them,  receive  you  the  Holy  Ghost.  Whosesoever  sins 
ye  remit,  they  are  remitted  unto  them,  and  whosesoever 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  47 

sins  ye  retain,  they  are  retained."  This  is  undeniably 
said  to  all  the  apostles  ;  but  it  could  not  be  with  proprie- 
ty, if  Peter  had  already  received  this  power,  in  distinc- 
tion from  the  rest,  and  as  their  superior.  As  to  the 
power  of  the  keys,  it  appears  to  have  been  the  authority 
with  which  Christ  invested  his  apostles  to  rule  in  the  vi- 
sible church,  and  to  administer  its  discipline.  But  it  had 
no  more  application  to  Peter  than  to  the  rest.  To  cut 
the  matter  short,  however,  if  Peter  was  constituted  head 
of  the  church  by  Christ  on  the  occasion  specified,  then 
he  doubtless  would  have  exercised  his  authority  after- 
wards. But  we  never  read  or  hear  of  Peter's  popery  on 
any  occasion.  Philip  went  down  to  Samaria  and  preach- 
ed Christ  unto  them.  Now  when  the  apostles  which 
were  at  Jerusalem,  not  pope  Peter,  heard  that  Samaria 
had  received  the  word  of  God,  they  sent  unto  them  Peter 
and  John.  Now  if  Peter  were  at  this  time  pope,  how 
came  he  to  be  sent  by  the  other  apostles.  Why  did  he 
not  thunder  from  the  Vatican,  and  order  out  some  of 
his  nuntios  or  vicars  on  this  errand  ?  Most  egregious 
and  blasphemous  presumption  was  it,  that  the  other  apos- 
tles should  presume  to  send  his  holiness  pope  Peter,  on 
a  mission  to  Samaria,  just  as  if  he  was  not  their  supreme 
head,  or  they  did  not  know  the  fact.  On  another  occa- 
sion, Peter  seems  to  have  fallen  into  dissimulation,  and 
Paul  withstood  him  to  the  face  and  rebuked  him,  be- 
cause he  was  to  be  blamed.  Presumptuous  man  I  What, 
shall  the  infallibility  of  Peter  be  questioned,  or  an  inferior 
attempt  to  rebuke  the  vicar  of  Christ,  the  supreme  head  of 
the  church  !  In  a  word,  the  claim  to  supreme  authority 
in  behalf  of  Peter,  can  by  no  means  be  sustained.  The 
first  premise  therefore  of  popery  utterly  fails.  How  is 
it  with  the  other,  viz.  ;  the  bishop  of  Rome  is  the  offi- 
cial successor  of  Peter."  On  what  g-round  is  this  claim- 
ed? Forsooth,  because  the  bishop  of  Rome  holds  the  see 
of  Peter.  But  how  is  this  ?  Who  knows  that  Peter  ever 
was  bishop  of  Rome  ?  There  is  not  a  word  to  this  effect 


48  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

in  the  scriptures.  And  the  traditions  of  persons  living 
several  hundred  years  after  the  time  of  Peter,  can  have 
no  weight  as  testimony.  If  Roman  bishops  say,  that 
Peter  was  bishop  of  Rome,  we  ask,  how  do  they  know  ? 
If  they  have  any  evidence  of  the  fact  let  them  produce  it, 
but  if  they  say  it  without  evidence,  they  must  not  expect 
us  to  give  implicit  credit  to  mere  assertion.  Peter  never 
was  bishop  of  Rome.  How  then  is  the  bishop  of  Rome 
his  successor  ?  ■  If  Peter  were  supreme  among  the  apos- 
tles, and  in  the  church,  by  what  circuitous  channel  does 
that  supremacy  arrive  at  the  pope's  door  ?  No,  it  is  ajl 
imposition,  and  arrogance.  Peter  had  no  supremacy, 
the  bishop  of  Rome  is  not  in  any  sense  his  successor. 
Ergo,  the  bishop  of  Rome  has  no  supremacy  except  that 
of  arrogance  and  falsehood. 

2.  Supremacy  is  claimed  by  the  pope  on  account  of 
the  necessity  of  the  case.  It  is  said  that  there  must 
of  necessity  be  some  supreme  head,  some  infallible  arbi- 
ter, some  living  standard,  and  oracle  of  faith  and  prac- 
tice. Otherwise  every  man's  opinion  will  be  his  own 
rule,  and  the  church  will  be  rent  into  endless  divisions. 
This  we  see  is  placing  the  system  of  popery  on  the 
ground  of  expediency,  and  if  it  were  productive  of  union 
in  faith,  still  there  are  some  considerations  to  put  in  the 
opposite  scale,  such  as  despotic  power,  tyrannical  oppres- 
sion, venality  and  deadly  corruption.  And  the  question 
would  return,  is  union  in  such  a  work,  a  blessing  or  a 
curse  ?  But  a§  to  the  simple  question  of  union  :  Where 
have  greater  divisions,  more  bitter  contention  and  ani- 
mosity been  witnessed  in  the  world,  than  in  the  bosom 
of  the  papal  church,  and  sometimes,  between  rival  popes 
themselves  ?  Talk  they  of  union,  let  the  endless  broils 
of  the  Dominicans  and  the  Franciscans,  of  the  Jesuits 
and  the  Jansenists  be  the  reply.  If  farther  reply  is  re- 
quired, we  will  show  them  contending  popes,  hurling 
thunders,  and  bulls,  and  curses  at  each  other's  heads ; 
infallibility  marshalled  against  infallibility  ;  a  rare  com- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  49 

bat.  W^  will  show  them  two  or  three  heads  of  the 
church  in  existence  and  function  at  a  time,  and  these 
heads,  instead  of  affording  wisdom  and  guidance  to  the 
body,  are  biting  and  devouring  each  other.  Truly,  pa- 
pists should  talk  little  about  the  efficacy  of  popery  in  pro- 
moting union*  But,  says  the  papist,  the  scriptures  can- 
not be  a  standard  of  faith  and  practice,  because  difference 
of  opinion  among  men  will  produce  endless  variations  in 
the  standard.  How  so  ?  The  variations  are  in  opinion, 
not  in  the  standard.  And  different  applications  of  a 
standard,  do  not  imply  a  change  or  variation  of  the 
standard  itself.  In  forming  his  opinions  from  the  scrip- 
tures, every  man  acts  on  his  own  responsibility.  If  he 
misapply  the  standard  so  as  to  deceive  himself,  his  own 
will  the  loss  be.  The  standard  is  nevertheless  true. 
Thus  a  person  may  have  a  correct  standard  of  weight  or 
measure,  and  he  may  so  err  in  the  application  as  to  pro- 
■duce  a  wrong  result,  or  two  persons  may  so  err  in  ap- 
plying the  same  standard  as  to  be  wide  apart  in  the  con- 
clusion. Does  this  vitiate  the  standard,  or  warrant  us  to 
say  there  cannot  be  such  a  thing  as  a  correct  rule? 
Rather  should  we  say  to  every  one  applying  the  stand- 
ard, take  heed,  be  not  deceived,  let  every  man  prove  his 
own  work. 

But,  3.  Another  claim  of  popery  is  founded  on  suppos- 
ed miracles  and  supernatural  testimony.  This  claim  will 
be  speedily  disposed  of,  by  an  unqualified  denial  of  the 
facts  alleged.  There  have  been  many  tales  of  miracles 
wrought  by  the  potency  of  relics,  or  at  the  tombs  of  de- 
parted saints  or  martyrs.  But  there  is  not  one  of  all 
these  wonders  that  possesses  any  authenticity.  We  re- 
member the  tale  of  the  tragedy  of  Berne,  in  which  St. 
Barbara,  and  St,  Mary  were  supposed  to  appear  to  poor 
Jetzer,  and  relate  to  him  the  transactions  of  the  invisible 
world,  and  confirm  to  him  certain  opinions  of  a  particu- 
lar order  of  monks.  But  these  sainted  spirits  were  dis- 
covered to  have  flesh  and  bones,  and  to  be  none  else 

5 


50  HISTORY    OF    POPERVr. 

than  the  prior  and  sub-prior  of  the  monastery.  And  the 
only  reality  in  the  case  was  a  painful  one,  for  Jetzer  had 
a  nail  driven  quite  through  his  hand,  while  receiving 
from  the  supposed  saints  the  marks  of  Christ.  That  the 
popish  church  has  exhibited  many  wonders  to  support 
her  claims,  will  not  be  denied  ;  but  we  shall  have  occa- 
sion to  see,  in  the  sequel,  that?  they  are  lying  wonders, 
and  cunning  craftiness,  whereby  her  votaries  have  lain 
in  wait  to  deceive.  So  much,  then,  for  the  claims  of 
popery  to  divine  origin,  and  divine  authority. 


SECTION    IV. 

EXAMINATION  OF  HISTORICAL  TESTIMONY  RELATIVE 
TO  THE  SUPREMACY  OF  THE  BISHOP  OF  ROME  DU- 
RING   THE    FIRST    SIX    CENTURIES. 

The  origin  of  the  church  of  Rome  is  involved  in  doubt. 
We  have  no  authentic  record  to  determine  by  whom  it 
was  gathered,  or  who  was  its  first  pastor.  Scripture  is 
silent  on  this  point,  which  silence  is  indeed  conclusive 
proof  that  this  church  was  not  destined  by  the  Saviour  to 
any  pre-eminence  in  his  visible  kingdom,  much  less  that 
it  was  destined  to  that  absolute  supremacy  which  it  has 
since  assumed.  But  whatever  obscurity  may  rest  upon 
the  origin  of  this  church,  two  points  are  very  clear,  viz. 
1.  We  have  no  satisfactory  evidence  that  Peter  gathered 
the  church  of  Rome  ;  and,  2.  Inhere  is  no  evide?tce  that 
he  ever  was  the  bishop  of  this  church'.  It  may  be  admit- 
ted, for  argument's  sake,  that  Peter  spent  some  time  at 
Rome,  and  that  he  suffered  martyrdom  there  in  the  reign 
of  Nero.  But  these  concessions  prove  nothing  as  to  any 
particular  connexion  of  Peter  with  the  church  of  Rome, 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  51 

either  as  its  founder  or  its  bishop.  For  Paul  was  also  at 
Rome  for  a  considerable  season  :  he  wrote  an  epistle  to 
that  church,  and  afterwards  suffered  martyrdom  there 
under  the  same  bloody  Nero.  If  Peter  then  w^s  bishop 
of  Rome  on  the  ground  of  the  facts  above  mentioned, 
much  more  was  Paul  its  bishop.  But  this  would  prove 
too  much,  as  it  would  prove  that  the  church  of  Rome  had 
two  supreme  heads.  In  the  absence,  then,  of  all  authentic 
proof,  we  are  authorized  to  deny  that  the  church  of  Rome 
was  gathered  by  Peter,  or  that  he  was  its  bishop.  And 
the  burden  of  proof  will  rest  on  those  who  set  up  arro- 
gant claims,  as  the  successors  of  Peter,  and  whose  pre- 
rogatives rest  solely  on  the  proof  they  bring.  Let  them 
prove,  if  they  can,  that  the  bishops  or  popes  of  Rome  are 
the  successors  of  Peter,  and  then  it  will  be  in  season  to 
talk  about  the  power  of  the  keys,  and  of  absolution,  if 
indeed  Peter  had  any  suph  power.  But  in  the  present 
state  of  the  subject,  the  claims  of  popery,  as  founded  on 
the  prerogatives  of  Peter,  are  mere  assumption.  The 
bishops  of  Rome  might  with  equal  propriety  claim,  in  the 
right  of  succession  to  Peter,  supreme  authority  over  the 
solar  system. 

In  regard  to  the  church  of  Rome  and  Peter,  its  sup- 
posed first  bishop,  very  little  is  known  during  the  first 
century,  beyond  what  is  found  on  sacred  record.  About 
the  year  64,  Rome  suffered  a  general  conflagration,  which 
is  supposed  to  have  been  the  work  of  Nero,  but  which,  to 
screen  himself  from  public  odium,  he  charged  to  Chris- 
tians. On  the  ground  of  this  charge  the  first  general 
persecution  commenced.  Peter  is  supposed,  by  impar- 
tial writers,  to  have  come  to  Rome  the  year  previous. 
While  there,  he  is  supposed  to  have  written  his  epistles ; 
and  when  the  persecution  under  Nero  commenced,  Peter 
is  supposed  to  have  been  apprehended  and  crucified. 
Not  a  word  do  we  find  in  any  authentic  history  of  this 
century,  about  the  supremacy  either  of  Peter  or  the  church 
of  Rome.     But  if  that  supremacy  ever  existed  by  divine 


52  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

appointment,  it  must  have  existed  then.  Peter  could  not 
have  been  constituted  the  bishop  of  Rome,  nor  supreme 
head  of  the  church,  after  he  was  dead.  And  if  his  su- 
premacy did  exist  during  his  life,  is  it  not  unaccountable 
that  all  history  should  be  utterly  silent  on  the  subject, 
that  the  church  in  the  first  century  should  have  left  no 
trace  of  pope  Peter's  reign  ;  and  that  even  Peter  himself 
should  have  been  so  sparing  of  the  pompous  assumptions 
and  dignity  of  his  pretended  successors?  If  Peter  was, 
at  the  time  he  wrote  his  epistles,  vicegerent  of  Christ  and 
supreme  head  of  the  church,  (and  he  must  have  been 
then  if  he  ever  was,  for  his  epistles  were  written  but  a 
short  time  before  his  death,)  is  it  not  remarkable  that  we 
hear  him  saying  simply  "  Simon  Peter,  a  servant  and  an 
apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,"  instead  of  "We,  sovereign  pon- 
tiff of  Rome,  apostolical  vicar  and  supreme  head  of  the 
church?"  It  is  indeed  manifest,  either  that  Peter  was 
not  conscious  of  his  papal  dignity,  or  he  did  not  value  it 
very  highly,  otherwise  he  would  not  have  passed  it  in 
silence.  For  no  pope  of  Rome  ever  followed  his  exam- 
ple in  this  particular.  For  though,  by  an  affected  mo- 
desty, some  of  the  popes  may  have  styled  themselves  ser- 
vants, &c.,  yet  they  have  always  been  careful  to  insert 
something  in  the  connexion,  to  show  that  they  did  not 
mean  what  the  words  would  naturally  import. 

But  the  forms  of  church  government  during  the  first 
century  do  not  admit  of  any  such  supremacy  as  that  as- 
cribed to  the  church  of  Rome,  or  to  Peter  as  its  head. 
In  those  primitive  days,  each  Christian  church  was  com- 
posed of  the  people,  the  presiding  officer,  and  the  assist- 
ants or  deacons.  The  highest  authority  then  was  in  the 
body  of  believers,  for  even  the  apostles  themselves  in- 
culcated by  their  example  that  nothing  of  moment  was 
to  be  done  or  determined  on  without  the  concurrence  of 
the  brethren.  The  rulers  of  the  church  were  sometimes 
denominated  elders  or  presbyters,  a  designation  borrowed 
from  the  Jews,  and  indicative  rather  of  the  wisdom  than 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  53 

the  age  of  the  persons  ;  and  sometimes  bishops  or  over- 
seers, for  it  is  most  manifest  that  both  terms  are  promis- 
cuously used  in  the  New  Testament  for  one  and  the 
same  class  of  persons.  Near  the  close  of  the  first  cen- 
tury, however,  there  began  to  be  indications  of  some  de- 
grees of  comparison  among  the  pastors  of  the  churches. 
The  germ  of  ecclesiastical  distinction  and  hierarchy  was 
at  first  exceeding  small,  and  is  thus  described  by  a  certain 
author  : — "  In  the  following  manner  Christians  managed 
ecclesiastical  affairs,  so  long  as  their  congregations  were 
small  and  not  very  numerous.  Three  or  four  presby- 
ters, men  of  gravity  and  holiness,  placed  over  these  little 
societies,  could  easily  proceed  with  harmony,  and  needed 
no  head  or  president.  But  when  the  churches  became 
larger,  and  the  number  of  presbyters  and  deacons,  as 
well  as  the  amount  of  duties  to  be  performed,  was  in- 
creased, it  became  necessary  that  each  council  of  pres- 
byters should  have  a  president,  a  man  of  distinguished 
gravity  and  prudence,  who  should  distribute  among  his 
several  colleagues  their  several  tasks,  and  be  a  kind  of 
central  point.  He  was  first  denominated  the  angeU  but 
afterwards  the  bishop,  (or  overseer,)  a  term  of  Grecian 
derivation,  and  indicative  of  his  principal  business.  But 
whoever  supposes  the  bishops  of  the  first  and  golden 
age  of  the  church  were  like  the  bishops  of  the  following 
centuries,  must  blend  and  confound  characters  that  are 
very  different." 

Where,  it  may  be  asked,  in  all  this  arrangement  of 
the  first  century,  was  there  room  or  place  for  his  holiness 
the  pope  of  Rome  ?  If  such  an  office,  or  such  a  title, 
existed  in  the  first  age  of  the  church,  how  marvellous  is 
it  that  we  can  find  no  trace  of  the  matter,  and  that  the 
holy  apostolical  vicar  of  Christ,  who  afterwards  filled 
Europe  and  the  world  whh  his  noise,  should  have  then 
kept  so  entirely  out  of  sight !  But  if  no  such  office  then 
existed,  the  lofty  pretensions  of  the  papists  fall  to  the 
ground. 

5* 


54  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

In  the  second  century,  the  gradual  advances  of  pre- 
latical  power  and  authority,  which  began  to  be  developed 
towards  the  close  of  the  first,  were  considerably  increased 
and  confirmed.  As  the  churches  multiplied  and  ex- 
tended, it  became  necessary  for  them  to  meet  together  by 
their  representatives  for  mutual  consultation  and  united 
action.  This  gave  rise  to  what  the  Greeks  called  Sy- 
nods, but  the  Latins,  Councils.  In  these  councils,  of 
which  no  vestige  appears  before  the  middle  of  the  second 
century,  it  became  necessary  for  some  one  to  preside,  and 
it  naturally  fell  to  the  lot  of  some  to  take  the  lead  in  the 
transaction  of  business.  This,  of  course,  gave  some  of 
the  bishops  a  practical  pre-eminence ;  and  when  once 
they  had  been  elevated,  it  was  natural  for  them  to  claim, 
and  to  endeavor  to  support  that  elevation.  In  this  way 
arose,  in  process  of  time,  metropolitan  bishops,  archbi- 
shops, patriarchs,  and  last  of  all  the  head  of  the  whole, 
the  pope  of  Rome.  Another  circumstance  that  served  to 
advance  the  power  of  the  hierarchy  in  the  second  cen- 
tury was,  that  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  the 
Jewish  system  was  totally  abolished,  the  idea  was  started 
that  the  Christian  ministry  was  designed  to  be  modelled 
after  the  fashion  of  the  Jewish  priesthood.  To  make  the 
resemblance  complete,  there  must  be  a  high  priest,  secon- 
dary priests,  and  Levites.  The  idea  could  not,  at  the 
time  it  was  started,  be  carried  to  its  full  extent,  but  it 
served  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  full  attainment  of  the 
object  by  the  gradual  approximation  of  public  opinion. 

In  the  third  century  the  form  of  church  government, 
which  had  been  gradually  introduced,  was  still  more 
confirmed.  We  find,  in  this  century,  bishops  in  the  prin- 
cipal cities  in  the  provinces,  which  were  esteemed  chief 
of  their  province.  The  limits  of  this  distinction  were 
not,  however,  accurately  defined,  nor  was  the  precedence 
always  given  to  the  bishop  of  the  chief  city.  But  the 
bishops  of  Rome,  Antioch,  and  Alexandria,  appear  to 
have  been  regarded  in  this  century  as  chief  men,  and 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  55 

were  consulted  on  important  matters.  The  bishop  of 
Rome  in  particular,  undoubtedly  because  he  resided  in 
the  metropolis  of  the  empire,  seems,  in  the  course  of  this 
century,  to  have  taken  the  lead  of  all  others,  and  to  have 
had  conceded  to  him  a  kind  of  primacy.  This  is  ad- 
mitted by  Cyprian  and  other  bishops  of  his  time.  But 
while  they  admitted  a  kind  of  primacy,  chiefly  as  a 
matter  of  courtesy,  they  strenuously  contended  for  the 
equality  of  all  bishops  in  respect  to  dignity  and  authority. 
They  did  not  hesitate  to  discard  the  judgment  of  the 
bishop  of  Rome  whenever  it  appeared  to  them  incorrect, 
and  took  the  liberty  to  follow  their  own  judgment.  Of 
this  truth  Cyprian  himself  gave  a  striking  example  in 
his  famous  controversT  with  Stephen,  bishop  of  Rome, 
concerning  the  baptism  of  heretics.  On  the  whole,  re- 
specting the  third  century,  we  may  say  that  though  there 
was  a  considerable  declination  from  the  republican,  and 
approach  towards  the  monarchical  form  of  church  govern- 
ment, yet  there  was  no  appearance  or  pretence  of  any 
supreme  head  of  the  church.  Plainly  the  pope  of  Rome, 
as  understood  by  the  assumptions  of  succeeding  ages, 
had  no  existence  in  the  third  century. 

In  the  commencement  of  the  fourth  century,  as  has 
been  already  stated,  the  external  circumstances  of  the 
church  were  materially  changed  by  the  conversion  of 
Constantine.  And  it  is  perfectly  evident,  that  if  the  su- 
premacy of  the  bishops  of  Rome,  as  successors  of  Peter, 
were  then  known  and  acknowledged  in  the  church,  it 
would  have  been  respected  by  this  Christian  emperor. 
But  far  otherwise  is  the  fact.  For  though  Constantine 
did  much  to  favor  religion  externally,  and  lavished  many 
gifts  on  the  officers  of  the  church,  yet  he  evidently  had 
no  idea  of  any  such  thing  as  papal  supremacy.  He 
even  proclaimed  himself  the  supreme  head  of  the  church, 
which  he  certainly  would  not  have  done,  if  there  had  been 
at  that  time  any  other  known  head,  it  is  also  added  by 
the  voice  of  history,  that  no  bishop  called  in  question  the 


56  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

right  or  propriety  of  what  the  emperor  did.  But  the 
bishop  of  Rome  certainly  would  have  called  it  in  ques- 
tion, if  it  had  at  all  been  questionable.  At  this  period, 
therefore,  we  have  ample  evidence  that  popery  had  no 
existence  or  name  in  the  government  of  the  church.  On 
the  contrary,  there  is  abundant  testimony  of  history,  that, 
though  the  Roman  bishop  was  excessively  aspiring,  and 
was  reaching  after  lordly  power  by  all  practical  means, 
yet  supremacy  was  not  then  even  claimed  by  him,  much 
less  allowed  by  other  bishops. 

In  the  fourth  century  an  event  occurred  which  stands 
directly  in  the  way  of  the  pretensions  of  the  Roman  pon-, 
tiff  to  supreme  authority ;  and  that  was,  the  transfer  of 
the  seat  of  the  empire  from  Rome  to  Byzantium,  which 
was  thence  called  Constantinople.  This  new  imperial 
cky  soon  became  the  rival  of  Rome,  not  only  in  civil 
affairs,  but  as  the  seat  of  ecclesiastical  power.  The 
bishop  of  so  great  a  city  soon  began  to  conceive  ideas 
of  his  own  supremacy ;  and  the  very  circumstances 
which  had  given  the  bishop  of  Rome  his  importance, 
now  began  to  raise  up  a  competitor,  who  desired,  at 
least,  to  be  esteemed  equal  to  the  bishop  of  Rome.  The 
emperors  did  not  disapprove  of  this  ambition,  because 
they  perceived  that  it  was  nearly  connected  with  their 
own  dignity.  Therefore,  in  the  council  of  Constantino- 
ple, which  was  held  in  381,  by  order  of  the  emperor 
Theodosius  the  Great,  the  bishop  of  Rome  being  opposed 
to  the  measure,  the  bishop  of  Constantinople  was  by  the 
third  canon  placed  in  the  first  rank  after  the  bishop  of 
Rome.  But  this  was  not  long  satisfactory  ;  for  soon  the 
rival  bishop  began  to  dispute  with  the  Roman  pontiff 
himself  the  right  of  precedence,  and  in  process  of  time 
proclaimed  himself  universal  bishop.  The  alarm  of  the 
bishop  of  Rome  at  this  step,  and  the  signs  of  anti-christ 
which  he  discovered  in  it,  have  been  already  stated.  But 
it  is  perfectly  evident  from  all  this,  that  the  bishop  of 
Rome  could  not  at  that  time  have  been  known  and  ac- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  57 

knowledged  as  the  supreme  head  of  the  church.  Peter 
could  not  at  the  same  time  have  two  legitimate  successors 
in  his  office.  One  or  the  other  must  have  been  in  error, 
as  they  both  claim  what,  from  the  nature  of  the  case,  can 
belong  only  to  one,  and  what  we  have  abundant  evidence 
belonged  to  neither.  Their  claims  are  both  equally  well 
founded,  or  rather  are  both  equally  destitute  of  founda- 
tion. The  only  rational  conclusion  then  is,  they  are 
both  false.  This  conclusion  is  confirmed  by  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  council  of  Calcedon,  which  assembled 
about  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century.  By  the  28th  canon 
of  this  council,  it  was  decreed  that  the  bishop  of  new 
Rome,  or  Constantinople,  ought  to  enjoy  the  same  honors 
and  prerogatives  with  the  bishop  of  old  Rome,  on  ac- 
count of  the  equal  dignity  of  the  two  cities ;  and  by  a 
formal  decree,  the  councils  confirmed  the  exclusive  juris- 
diction of  the  bishop  of  Constantinople  over  the  provinces 
which  he  claimed.  Leo  the  Great,  bishop  of  Rome  at 
that  time,  strenuously  resisted  this  decree,  but  his  oppo- 
sition was  overruled,  because  the  power  of  the  Greek 
emperors  supported  the  bishops.  And  from  the  time  of 
the  council  of  Calcedon  in  the  fifth  century,  the  bishops 
of  Constantinople  contended  fiercely  with  the  bishops  of 
Rome  for  the  supremacy. 

From  these  historical  facts  the  following  conclusions 
are  demonstrated,  viz.  :  1.  A  general  council  of  the 
Christian  church  assembled  at  Calcedon  in  the  fifth  cen- 
tury, knew  nothing  of  papal  supremacy,  for  they  passed 
a  decree  absolutely  incompatible  with  it.  2*  A  general 
council  of  the  church  thus  sanctioned  the  principle  that 
clerical  precedence  in  the  church  is  not  derived  from 
divine  appointment,  or  succession  to  the  apostles,  but 
from  the  dignity  of  the  cities  which  were  the  seat  of 
clerical  influence  and  power.  Thus,  on  the  ground  that 
Constantinople  was  equal  in  dignity  to  Rome,  the  coun- 
cil decreed  that  the  bishop  of  the  former  ought  to  enjoy 
the  same  honors  and  prerogatives  with  the  bishop  of  the 


58  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

latter.  This  decision  cuts  up  papal  pretensions,  root  and 
branch.  For  if  supremacy  derived  from  Peter  had  been 
then  known,  such  a  decree  would  not  have  been  passed. 
The  supremacy  of  the  pope  then,  as  has  been  suggested, 
was  founded  on  the  supremacy  of  the  city  where  he 
dwelt. 

The  rival  pretensions  which  have  been  stated,  gave 
rise  to  dreadful  wars  and  abominable  crimes.  The 
bishop  of  Constantinople,  elated  with  his  success,  and 
the  favor  of  the  imperial  court  under  which  he  was  pro- 
tected, did  not  hesitate  to  attack  the  Roman  prelate,  and 
wrest  from  him  some  of  his  provinces.  The  Roman 
ponti/T,  in  his  turn,  inflicted  grievous  wounds  on  the 
eastern  bishop.  And  these  quarrels  about  precedence 
between  those  who  claimed  to  be  fathers  and  pastors  of 
the  church,  show  beyond  all  question  that  both  parties 
were  merely  wolves  in  sheep's  clothing,  for  they  wasted 
and  devoured  the  church  for  their  own  aggrandizement.". 

The  Roman  bishop  was,  on  the  whole,  most  successful 
in  his  enterprizes  of  ambition.  Notwithstanding  the  op- 
position of  his  rival,  various  causes  enabled  him  to  aug- 
ment in  no  small  degree  his  power.  The  patriarchs  of 
Antioch  and  Alexandria,  finding  themselves  incompe- 
tent to  contend  with  the  patriarch  of  Constantinople,  ap- 
plied to  the  Roman  patriarch  for  aid.  And  the  same 
measure  was  adopted  by  the  inferior  bishops,  whenever 
they  found  their  superiors  encroaching  on  their  rights. 
Rome  thus  became  the  common  centre  of  attraction.  By 
this  means  the  Roman  bishop,  at  the  same  time  that  he 
extended  his  protection,  also  extended  and  increased  his 
influence.  He  thus  acquired  a  practical  supremacy,  even 
before  he  dared  openly  to  advance  his  claim  to  it,  or  be- 
fore he  could  find  a  place  for  it  in  theory.  In  addition 
to  this  state  of  things, in  the  bosom  of  the  church,  the 
state  of  the  empire,  in  its  civil  aspects,  was  such  as  to 
give  great  facility  for  the  accomplishment  of  the' ambiti- 
ous designs  of  the  bishop  of  JRome.     The  emperors  of 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  59 

the  western  empire  had  become  weak,  indolent,  and  ef- 
feminate ;  they  held  the  reins  of  government  with  a  feeble 
arm,  so  that  a  field  was  open  for  the  successful  prosecu- 
tion of  the  projects  of  ambition.  The  nations  of  barba- 
rians also,  about  Rome,  had  begun  to  break  in  upon  the 
empire,  and  were  subverting  its  deep  foundations.  To 
the  prejudices  and  superstitions  of  these  barbarians,  the 
bishop  of  Rome  found  it  no  difficult  matter  to  accommo- 
date himself.  And  he  could  adopt  their  heathen  rites, 
provided  they  would  adopt  the  Christian  name,  and  be  sub- 
servient to  his  purposes.  The  barbarous  kings  were  in- 
tent on  nothing  but  the  establishment  of  their  own  power. 
When,  therefore,  they  witnessed  the  influence  of  the 
bishop  of  Rome  over  the  minds  of  the  people,  they  deemed 
it  good  policy  to  secure  his  favor  by  granting  him  privi- 
leges and  honors.  In  this  way  considerable  accession 
was  made  during  the  fifth  century  to  the  see  of  Rome. 

But  after  all  these  attempts  at  supreme  power,  and 
these  gradual  advances  towards  it,  yet  so  late  as  the  end 
of  the  fifth  century,  the  bishop  of  Rome  had  not  been 
able  to  obtain  the  acknowledgment  of  the  church  in 
favor  of  his  pretentions,  nor  was  he  able  to  assume  the 
title  of  universal  bishop.  In  particular  the  churches  of 
Africa  could  not  be  induced,  either  by  promises  or 
threats,  to  carry  their  causes  and  controversies  by  appeal 
to  the  tribunal  of  Rome. 

In  the  sixth  century  there  was  no  important  change  in 
the  constitution  of  the  Christian  church,  and  no  additional 
proof  of  papal  supremacy.  So  late  in  the  century  as  the 
year  587,  John,  bishop  of  Constantinople,  attempted  to 
have  himself  proclaimed  universal  bishop.  On  which 
occasion  Gregory  made  the  efforts  and  reflections  which 
have  been  already  stated.  So  late  then  as  this  period, 
the  bishop  of  Rome  did  not  even  publicly  claim  that  su- 
premacy which,  in  a  rival  bishop,  he  declared  to  be  a 
sign  of  anti-christ.  Indeed  the  whole  testimony  of  au- 
thentic history  is,  that  six  centuries  of  the  Christian  era 


60  HISTORY    OF    POPERV. 

passed  away  without  any  open  claim  or  acknowledg- 
ment of  supremacy,  as  belonging  to  the  bishop  of  Rome. 
Surely  this  must  be  a  wide  and  fatal  chasm  to  those,  who 
make  their  whole  cause  depend  on  maintaining  an  unin- 
terrupted succession  to  Peter,  as  supreme  head  of  the 
church.  Six  hundred  j^ears  the  Christian  church  existed 
without  a  pope,  in  the  proper  sense  of  the  term,  and  the 
papists  may  be  asked,  where  was  the  true  church  in 
their  view,  before  Boniface  was  declared  universal 
bishop  ? 


SECTION    V. 

THE     PROGRESS     OF     POPERY     DURING     THE      TWELVE 
CENTURIES    SUCCEEDING    ITS    RISE. 

Having  ascertained,  by  the  testimony  of  authentic 
history,  that  no  trace  of  popery  existed  during  the  six 
first  centuries  of  the  Christian  era,  and  having  seen  that 
it  originated  early  in  the  seventh  century,  by  the  united 
influence  of  the  tyrant  Phocas,  and  Boniface  ILL,  bishop 
of  Rome,  in  proclaiming  the  latter  universal  bishop  ;  we 
now  proceed  to  trace  the  progress  of  this  grand  apostacy 
from  the  Christian  church,  through  the  course  of  suc- 
ceeding ages.  In  this  survey  it  will  be  necessary  to 
study  brevity,  as  far  as  can  be  consistent  with  perspicuity 
of  statement,  as  there  are  several  other  important  topics 
relative  to  popery,  which  claim  attention  before  reaching 
our  prescribed  limits. 

The  beginning  of  the  seventh  century  was  marked 
by  three  important  events  in  the  history  of  the  church 
and  of  the  world.  The  proclaiming  of  the  bishop  of 
Rome  universal  bishop,  the  establishment  of  image  wor- 
ship in  the  Christian  church,  and  the  rise  of  the  Maho- 
metan delusion. 


HISTORY    OF    rOPERY.  61 

In  regard  to  the  newly  created  and  proclaimed  pope, 
scarcely  a  year  elapsed  from  the  commencement  of  this 
sacerdotal  empire,  when  the  very  idolatry  which  had 
been  so  strenuously  opposed  by  preceding  bishops,  was 
publicly  established  and  patronized  by  the  sovereign 
pontiff.  The  ancient  Pantheon,  formerly  the  general 
sink  of  all  the  abominations  of  paganism,  was  now  re- 
stored, though  under  a  different  name,  to  its  original  des- 
tination. The  mediatory  demons  of  corrupted  Christian- 
ity, occupied  the  vacant  places  of  the  mediatory  demons 
of  the  gentiles.  Instead  of  Jupiter  and  his  kindred  dei- 
ties, the  virgin  mother  of  Christ,  and  all  his  martyred 
saints,  received  the  blind  adoration  of  the  revived  ten- 
horned  beast.  The  holy  city  was  trodden  under  foot  of 
a  new  race  of  gentiles,  differing  from  their  pagan  prede- 
cessors in  name  rather  than  in  nature,  and  the  witnesses 
began  to  prophecy  in  sackcloth,  during  the  long  period 
of  1260  years,  the  same  period  indeed  as  that,  during 
which  the  saints  were  given  into  the  hand  of  the  little 
horn.  (See  Rev,  xi.  2,  3.)  From  this  period  forward, 
therefore,  the  papal  church  must  be  considered  as  apos- 
tate from  true  Christianity,  because  it  renounced  the  essen- 
tial features  of  the  Christian  church,  and  became  the  real 
and  implacable  enemy  of  all  the  true  followers  of  Christ. 
This  is  not  empty  declamation,  or  unfounded  assertion. 
Let  the  history  of  subsequent  ages,  for  more  than  twelve 
hundred  years,  bear  witness.  Let  every  reader  examine 
the  subject  carefully  and  candidly,  and  if  he  does  not  iind 
evidence  sufficient  to  satisfy  his  mind  that  the  papal 
church  is  now,  and  has  been  for  twelve  centuries,  a  mere 
modified  and  concealed  form  of  paganism,  and  an  apos- 
tate body  from  the  whole  Christian  faith,  then  evidence 
has  no  weight,  and  the  powers  of  perceiving  truth  wholly 
fail  and  deceive.  By  this,  however,  is  not  meant  that 
the  papal  church  does  not  in  theory  admit  some  specula- 
tive truths.  Pagans  do  this,  and  even  devils  believe  in 
one  God.     But  the  meaning  is,  that  the  popish  system, 

6 


03  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

taken  as  a  whole,  is  radically  corrupt  and  anti-chris- 
tian  ;  that  nothing  is  wanting  but  the  universal  preva- 
lence of  this  system,  to  ensure  the  utter  extinction  of  all 
true  religion,  and  therefore,  that  whatever  of  truth  is  em- 
braced in  this  system  is  held  in  unrighteousness,  and 
practically  perverted.  This  will  appear  to  be  the  true 
state  of  the  case  from  all  authentic  and  impartial  history. 

With  this  general  view,  the  chain  of  historical  narra- 
tive will  be  pursued,  until  we  have  a  comprehensive  view 
of  the  progress  of  this  apostate  church.  Then  its  influ- 
ence and  fruits  will  come  under  examination. 

The  elevation  of  the  bishop  of  Rome  to  the  station  of 
pope,  or  universal  bishop,  was  followed  by  a  great  in- 
crease of  power  and  corruption,  so  far  as  his  influence 
extended  ;  while  vital  religion,  and  all  useful  knowledge 
declined  in  the  same  proportion.  Every  writer  of  note, 
respecting  the  seventh  century,  admits  that  the  clergy  of 
inferior  rank,  and  all  who  were  entrusted  with  the  sacred 
offices,  as  well  those  in  the  monasteries,  as  those  without, 
lived  in  the  practice  of  many  enormities.  In  all  places, 
simony,  avarice,  pious  frauds,  intolerable  pride,  inso- 
lence to  the  people  at  large,  and  even  vices  worse  than 
these,  miofht  be  seen  reiofninsf  in  the  stations  consecrated 

o  o  O 

to  piety  and  virtue.  Between  the  monks  and  the  bishops, 
many  bitter  quarrels  arose  in  different  places.  For  the 
latter  laid  their  greedy  hands  on  the  rich  possessions  of  the 
monks,  that  they  might  support  their  own  luxury  and 
dissipation.  And  the  monks,  feeling  this  very  sensibly, 
first  applied  to  the  emperors  and  kings  for  redress,  but 
not  finding  sufficient  protection,  they  next  resorted  to  the 
pope  of  Rome.  He  took  them  under  his  protection,  and 
gradually  exempted  them  from  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
bishops.  The  monks  in  return  defended  the  interests  of 
the  pope  as  their  own.  They  recommended  him  as  a 
kind  of  god  to  the  ignorant  multitude,  over  whom  their 
hypocritical  sanctity  gave  them  great  influence.  That 
these  exemptions  of  the  monks,  were  the  cause  of  many 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  63 

of  their  vices  and  disorders,  is  the  opinion  of  many  of 
the  best  writers.  In  the  mean  time  the  monks,  from  the 
favor  of  the  popes,  and  the  display  of  fictitious  piety, 
were  every  where  making  great  progress  in  numbers  and 
wealth  ;  especially  among  the  Latins.  Parents  eagerly 
consecrated  their  children  to  God,  with  good  portions  of 
their  property  made  over  to  the  monasteries  ;  that  is  to 
say,  they  devoted  them  to  what  was  considered  the  high- 
est bliss  on  earth,  a  life  of  solitude.  Those  who  had 
spent  their  lives  in  guilty  deeds,  hoped  to  expiate  their 
crimes  by  conferring  the  greater  part  of  their  property 
on  some  company  of  monks.  And  immense  numbers, 
impelled  by  superstition,  robbed  their  heirs  of  their  rich- 
est possessions,  to  render  God  propitious  to  them  through 
the  prayers  of  the  monks.  Such  was  popery  in  the 
seventh  century. 

The  history  of  the  eighth  century  opens  with  the  fol- 
lowing humiliating  testimony,  respecting  the  votaries  of 
papal  superstition.  Those  who  had  the  care  of  the 
church,  both  in  the  east  and  the  west,  were  utterly  cor- 
rupt in.  their  morals.  The  eastern  bishops  wasted  their 
lives  in  various  controversies  and  quarrels  ;  and,  disre- 
garding the  cause  of  piety,  they  disquieted  the  state  with 
their  senseless  clamors  and  seditions.  Nor  did  they  he- 
sitate to  imbrue  their  hands  in  the  blood  of  their  dissent- 
ing brethren.  Those  in  the  west,  immediately  under 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  pope,  who  pretended  to  be  lumina- 
ries, gave  themselves  up  to  various  kinds  of  profligacy, 
to  gluttony,  to  lust,  to  sensuality  and  to  war.  Nor 
could  they  be  reclaimed,  though  the  civil  rulers,  such 
as  Pepin,  Carloman,  and  especially  Charlemagne,  enact- 
ed various  laws  against  their  vices. 

The  ninth  century  exhibits  popery  as  in  the  ascendant, 
and  that  with  increasing  strength  ;  and  at  the  same  time 
it-  shows  a  thicker  and  darker  gloom  resting  on  the 
morals  and  manners  of  the  clergy,  the  church  and  the 
>\^orld.     It  is  indeed  ^  remarkable  fact,  that  the  greatest 


04  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

increase  and  glory  of  papal  power  was  witnessed  in 
that  age,  when  the  lights  of  science  and  religion  were 
most  obscured  ;  showing  that  ignorance  and  superstition 
are  the  congenial  atmosphere  of  the  papal  dominion.  In- 
deed, the  supremacy  of  the  pope  has  always  flourished 
in  exact  proportion  to  the  moral  and  intellectual  degra- 
dation of  man,  and  has  always  been  an  efficient  agent  in 
producing  that  degradation.  The  abettors  of  popery 
may  be  challenged  to  produce  a  solitary  example  of  a 
country,  brought  under  the  full  influence  of  popery,  in 
which  the  principles  of  civil  liberty,  the  blessings  of  so- 
cial life,  as  Avell  as  the  light  of  science  and  religion^ 
have  not  been  well  nigh  extinguished.  In  the  regular 
course  of  historical  events,  we  are  now  approaching  a 
period  which  has  been  distinguished  in  the  history  of 
the  world,  as  the  dark  age.  And  it  will  be  proper  to 
bear  in  mind  the  influence  which  popery  exerted  to  pro- 
duce this  6^«^r^  age;  and  thence  to  gather  the  evidence, 
that  the  prevalence  of  popery  in  any  age  or  country,  will 
certainly  produce  the  same  darkness. 

The  voice  of  history  thus  testifies  concerning  the  state 
of  teachers  and  the  church,  in  the  ninth  century.  The 
ungodly  lives  of  most  of  those  entrusted  with  the  spiri- 
tual interests  of  men,  and  the  government  of  the  church, 
in  this  century,  are  a  subject  of  complaint  with  all  the 
ingenuous  and  honest  writers  of  this  age.  The  bishops 
attached  to  the  papal  dominion  are  described  as  hanging 
around  the  courts  of  princes,  and  indulging  themselves 
in  every  species  of  voluptuousness.  The  inferior  clergy 
of  course  were  extremely  sensual,  and  corrupted  the  very 
people  whom  they  were  set  to  reform.  The  ignorance  of 
the  clergy  in  many  instances  was  so  great,  that  they 
could  neither  read  nor  write.  Hence,  whenever  a  letter 
was  to  be  penned,  or  any  thing  of  importance  was  to  be 
committed  to  writing,  recourse  was  had  to  some  one  in- 
dividual, who  was  supposed  to  excel  common  men,  by 
possessing  some    dexterity  in   such   matters.      At   the 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  65 

council  of  Pavia,  held  in  the  year  850,  it  was  ordained 
that  all  provocations  to  debauchery,  should  be  removed 
from  the  conviviality  of  the  bishops,  and  that  no  ludicrous 
shows,  no  vain  garrulity,  no  buffoonery  of  wits,  no  scur- 
rilous tricks  should  there  find  a  place.     At  the  council  of 
Aix-la-Chapelle,  in  836,  bishops  were  forbidden  to  get 
drunk.     We  cannot  suppose  that  these  canons  would 
have  been  passed  and  published  to  the  world,  without 
some  occasion  for  them,  and  some  very  urgent  occasion 
too.     But  that  nothing  may  be  left  to  conjecture,  in  re- 
spect to  the  occasion  of  the  above  mentioned  canons  ;.  the 
council  of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  according  to  Harduin,  state 
the  fact  explicitly,  that  some  of  their  order  neglected 
their  charge,  and  travelled  here  and  there,  not  from  ne- 
cessity, but  to  gratify  their  love  of  avarice  and  pleasure. 
Of  the  presbyters  and  inferior  clergy  they  complain,  that 
they  kept  women  in  their  houses,  to  the  great  scandal  of 
the  ministry  ;  and  this,  notwithstanding  the  former  at- 
tempts of  councils  and  princes  to  remove  the  evil.    They 
say  of  the  nunneries,  that  in  many  places  they  seemed  to 
be  rather  brothels  than  monasteries.     It  is  here  to  be 
kept  in  mind,  that  popery  forbade  marriage  to  her  clergy. 
For  lawful- wedlock,  they  would  be  deposed  and  excom- 
municated at  once  ;  but  lewdness  and  debauchery,  even 
in  her  sacred  precincts,  and  among  those  professedly  de- 
voted to  piety,  were  a  trifle  in  her  view,  unworthy  of 
notice;  and  not  only  so,  but  as   will  hereafter  appear, 
even  encouraged  and  sanctioned  ;  and  the  price  of  which 
often  went  into  the  sacred  coffers.     Another  cause  which 
led  to  the  general  corruption  of  the  papal  clergy,  was  the 
ease  and  indifference  with  which  men  were  introduced 
to  the  ministry,  and  the  consequent  venality  of  the  whole 
order,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest.  The  patrons  of  the 
churches,  not  wishing  to  have  their  vices  reproved  and 
exposed,  gave  the  preference  to  weak  and  inefficient  men. 
Thus,   having  itching  ears  they  heaped   to   themselves 
teachers.     And  it  is  here  worthy   of  very  serious  re- 

6* 


6#  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

mark,  that  whenever  people  are  so  far  traitors  to  their 
own  interests,  as  to  encourage  and  support  false  teachers, 
who  will  flatter  their  pride  and  conceal  their  sin,  they 
will  always  find  men  enough,  who,  for  money,  will  be 
ready  to  perform  the  ruinous  task.  It  was  so  in  ancient 
times,  when,  as  God  says  by  his  prophet  concerning  the 
false  prophets,  who  spake  lies  in  his  name  ;  "  And  my 
'people  love  to  have  it  so^  People  must  generally  blame 
themselves  for  the  ingress  of  false  teachers.  Such 
teachers  would  not  intrude  into  the  vineyard,  if  they  did 
not  meet  with  favor,  and  did  not  find  many  to  welcome 
them,  and  extend  to  them  a  fostering  hand.  False 
teachers  come  not  to  labor,  but  to  gain  favor  or  emolu- 
ment, and  they  will  soon  perceive  where  such  fruit  can 
be  gathered.  A  corrupt  community  Avill  therefore  heap 
to  themselves  false  teachers,  and  false  teachers  will  ren- 
der the  community  more  and  more  corrupt.  Thus  the 
natural  course  is  from  bad  to  worse,  deceiving  and  being 
deceived,  corrupting  by  reciprocal  influence,  until  all 
sink  together  to  perdition. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  corruption,  however,  popery 
flourished  and  became  more  firmly  seated.  Just  as  nox- 
ious weeds  and  poisonous  reptiles,  always  multiply  and 
flourish  in  the  impurities  of  the  atmosphere.  It  is 
obvious  to  all  who  read  the  history  of  the  ninth  century, 
that  popery  greatly  advanced  in  power,  influence  and 
wealth,  from  the  age  of  Lewis  the  meek,  and  especially 
after  the  commencement  of  the  reign  of  Charles  the  bald.  , 
Upon  the  death  of  Lewis  II.,  a  violent  war  broke  out 
among  the  descendants  of  Charlemagne,  each 'of  them 
contending  for  the  imperial  dignity.  Pope  John  VIII., 
and  with  him  the  Italian  princes,  eagerly  seized  the  op- 
portunity to  exclude  the  voice  of  all  foreigners,  and  make 
the  election  of  emperors  depend  wholly  on  themselves. 
Hence,  Charles  the  bald,  king  of  the  Francs,  by  a  vast 
amount  of  money,  and  other  presents,  and  by  still  greater 
promises,   obtained   from   the   pope    and   other   Italian 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  67 

princes,  to  be  proclaimed  emperor  of  the  Romans.  His 
successors  in  the  kingdom  of  Italy,  and  in  the  imperial 
dignity^ — Carloman,  and  Charles  the  fat,  were  likewise 
chosen  by  the  pope  and  his  princes.  After  them  troublous 
times  came  on,  in  which  those  who  promised  most, 
and  gave  most,  generally  ascended  the  royal  and  impe- 
rial throne  by  the  aid  of  the  popes.  This  is  certainly  a 
singular  spectacle.  A  vicar  of  Christ,  a  successor  of 
Peter,  or  one  claiming  to  be  such,  is  here  found  driving 
the  trade  of  selling  thrones  and  kingdoms  to  the  highest 
bidder.  In  other  words,  the  supreme  head  of  the  church 
has  turned  grand  auctioneer  in  the  sale  of  kingdoms. 
The  Saviour  would  not  meddle  at  all  even  with  the 
smallest  worldly  concerns,  because  his  kingdom  was  not 
of  this  world.  His  reply  to  applicants  for  worldly  favor 
was,  "  who  made  me  a  judge  or  a  divider  over  you." 
Peter  could  say,  even  to  one  asking  alms,  "  silver  and 
gold  have  I  none."  And  it  was  not  because  he  could  not 
have  obtained  it  if  he  would,  by  selling  the  gifts  in  his 
possession:  for  to  an  applicant  of  this  sort  he  said, 
"  thy  money  perish  with  thee."  But  look  at  the  popes 
for  successive  ages,  and  see  them  keeping  offices  of 
simony  and  venality,  hoarding  up  treasures,  and  dealing 
in  kingdoms  ;  and  mark  the  difference,  the  absolute  con- 
trariety of  these  characters,  and  the  undeniable  apostacy 
of  the  latter. 

But  the  power  of  the  popes  in  religious  matters  was 
augmented  with  a  rapidity  equal  to  that  of  their  prosperity 
in  temporal  things,  and  nearly  from  the  same  causes. 
The  wisest  and  most  impartial  even  among  papal  writers 
admit,  that  from  the  time  of  Lewis  the  meek,  the  ancient 
system  of  ecclesiastical  law  in  Europe  was  gradually 
changed,  and  a  new  system  introduced  by  the  policy  of 
the  papal  court.  The  kings  and  emperors  suffered  their 
rights  in  matters  of  religion,  which  had  been  handed 
down  to  them  from  Charlemagne,  to  be  insensibly 
wrested  from  them.     The  popes,  exulting  in  their  pros- 


68'  HISTORY    Of    POPERY. 

perity,  and  the  daily  accessions  to  their  weahh,  endea- 
vored to  instill  into  the  minds  of  all — and  they  did, 
notwithstanding  the  opposition  of  the  better  informed, 
instill  into  the  minds  of  many — the  sentiment  that  the 
pope  of  Rome  was  constituted  by  Jesus  Christ,  a  legisla- 
tor and  judge  over  the  whole  church,  and  therefore  that 
all  other  bishops  derive  their  authority  from  him ;  and 
that  even  councils  can  decide  nothing  without  his  direc- 
tion and  approbation.  To  bring  men  to  listen  to  and  re- 
ceive this  new  system  of  ecclesiastical  law,  which  was 
so  very  different  from  the  ancient  system,  there  was  need 
of  ancient  documents  and  records,  with  which  it  might 
be  enforced  and  defended  against  the  assaults  of  opposers. 
Hence  the  popes  procured  the  forgery,  by  their  trusty 
^friends,  of  conventions,  acts  of  councils,  epistles,  and 
other  documents,  by  which  they  might  make  it  appear, 
that  from  the  earliest  ages  of  the  church,  the  popes  pos- 
sessed the  same  power  and  authority  which  they  now 
claimed.  Among  these  fraudulent  supports  of  papal 
power  were  the  Decretal  Epistles,  (so  called,)  of  the 
bishops  of  the  first  centuries.  These  were  forged  by  the 
ingenuity  of  a  man  of  obscure  birth,  who  falsely  assumed 
the  nanie  of  Isidore,  a  Spanish  bishop.  Some  vestiges 
of  these  fabricated  epistles  appeared  in  the  preceding 
century.  But  they  were  first  published  and  cited  as  au- 
thority in  the  ninth  century.  Of  a  similar  origin  and 
character  were  the  decrees  of  a  Roman  council,  said  to 
have  been  holden  under  Sylvester,  A.  D.  324,  but  which 
was  never  known  by  any  one  till  the  ninth  century,  and 
than  which  nothing  could  have  been  more  calculated  to 
ehrich  and  exalt  the  pope  of  Rome  above  all  human  au- 
thority. As  to  the  spurious  character  of  the  epistles  and 
decrees  above  mentioned,  it  is  believed  that  at  the  present 
day,  even  the  advocates  of  popery,  who  pay  any  regard  to 
established  truth,  confess  the  cheat,  and  their  authenticity 
is  now  universally  abandoned  even  by  papists  themselves. 
And  yet,  these  very  epistles  and  decrees  are  in  a  great 


HISTORY    OF     POPERY.  69 

measure  the  foundation  of  papal  pretension  and  claim. 
For  certain  it  is,  past  all  question,  that  all  the  claims  of 
popery  to  supremacy,  derived  from  primitive  usage  or 
history,  are  utterly  destitute  of  all  foundation  in  truth. 
Nevertheless  we  hear,  and  probably  shall  continue  to 
hear,  of  the  holy  apostolical  church  of  Rome,  as  if  this 
body  "could  trace  its  origin  to  an  apostolical  source. 
When  the  truth  is,  the  real  source  is  a  parcel  of  forgeries 
of  the  ninth  century,  bearing  the  name  of  apostolical. 
The  pope  obtained  the  liberty  to  style  himself  universal 
bishop  in  the  seventh  century,  as  we  have  seen.  But  he 
did  not  obtain  full  possession  of  his  assumed  rights  until 
the  ninth  century,  and  that  on  the  ground  of  the  above 
forgeries.  And  while  the  light  and  intelligence  of  the 
present  day  have  compelled  even  the  votaries  of  popery 
to  confess  the  spurious  nature  of  these  documents,  is  it 
not  strange  that  men  should  be  found  in  this  day,  and  in 
this  country,  who  are  willing  to  uphold  this  dominion 
founded  in  deception  ?  Have  we  not  reason  to  expect 
that  every  papist  in  the  world  noiv,  who  has  the  least  re- 
gard  to  consistency  or  truth,  or  a  mind  at  all  open  to 
conviction,  will  confess  that  the  power  and  pretensions 
of  popery  are  all  usurpation  1 

But,  notwithstanding  the  deep  gloom  of  the  ninth  cen- 
tury, its  dark  shades  were  greatly  augmented  in  the  tenth. 
The  testimony  of  historians  concerning  this  century  is, 
that  the  history  of  the  church  and  its  officers,  especially 
of  the  popes,  is  a  history  of  monsters,  a  history  of  the 
most  atrocious  villanies  and  crimes.  This  is  admitted 
by  all  writers  without  distinction,  even  by  the  advocates 
of  popery.  Benedict  IV.  died  near  the  commencement 
of  the  tenth  century,  and  Leo  V.  was  elected  his  suc- 
cessor ;  but  he  reigned  only  forty  days,  when  Christo- 
phanes  dethroned  and  cast  him  into  prison.  In  the  fol- 
lowing year,  Sergius  III.,  a  presbyter  of  Rome,  strip- 
ped Christophanes  of  the  pontifical  dignity.  After  the 
death  of  Lando,  in   914,  the  rich   and   powerful  mar- 


7(y  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

quis  of  Tuscany,  called  Alberic,  or,  according  to  some 
writers,  Adelbert,  by  the  instigation  of  his  wife's  mo- 
ther, Theodora,  a  very  lewd  woman,  who  controlled 
all  things  at  Rome,  made  John,  her  paramour,  the  suc- 
cessor to  the  papal  throne.  For  at  this  time  nothing  was 
conducted  regularly  at  Rome,  but  every  thing  was  car- 
ried by  violence  and  bribery,  and  by  the  influence  6f  the 
courtesans,  Theodora  and  her  daughters.  The  history 
of  this  John  X.  is  briefly  this.  Peter,  the  archbishop  of 
Ravenna,  sent  him,  then  a  deacon,  to  pay  his  respects 
to  his  holiness  the  pope.  John,  being  a  comely  person, 
attracted  the  attention  of  Theodora,  who  was  then  the 
presiding  genius  at  Rome.  She  falling  in  love  with  him, 
engaged  him  in  a  criminal  intrigue.  While  they  thus 
lived  together,  the  bishop  of  Bologna  died,  and  this 
John  was  elected  to  fill  his  place.  But  before  his  conse- 
cration the  archbishop  of  Ravenna  died,  and  Theodora 
persuaded  him  to  put  in  a  claim  to  that  vacancy.  He 
was  accordingly,  at  her  request,  consecrated  by  the  pope. 
The  pope  died  soon  after,  and  Theodora,  exerting  all  her 
influence,  advanced  John  to  the  papal  throne.  Such  was 
one  of  the  holy  fathers  of  Rome  !  Supreme  head  of  the 
church  !  raised  to  that  station  by  an  abominable  harlot ! ! 
The  history  of  the  remaining  part  of  this  century  is  little 
else  than  a  history  of  violence,  murders,  rivalry,  and  cor- 
ruption. So  much  was  this  the  case,  that  probably  no. 
court  on  earth  ever  equalled  that  of  the  pope  for  its  per- 
fidy, cruelty,  and  pollution.  It  might  well  be  called  the 
seat  of  the  beast,  but  how  incongruous  to  call  it  the 
church  of  Christ  ?  It  was  not  only  mysticallj^  but  really 
and  literally,  the  ''Mother  of  harlots,  and  abominations 
of  the  earths 

Concerning  this  century,  Baronius,  himself  a  papist, 
says  : — "  It  is  usual  to  denominate  it  the  iron  age,  on  ac- 
count of  itfi  barbarity,  and  barrenness  of  all  good  4  also 
the  leaden  age,  on  account  of  the  abounding  wickedness 
by  which  it  was  deformed,  and  the  dark  age,  on  account 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  71 

of  the  scarcity  of  writers.  One  can  scarcely  believe, 
nay,  absolutely  cannot  credit,  without  ocular  demonstra- 
tion, what  unworthy  conduct,  what  base  and  enormous 
deeds,  what  execrable  and  abominable  transactions,  dis- 
graced the  holy  catholic  see,  which  is  the  pivot  on  which 
the  whole  catholic  church  revolves.  Temporal  princes, 
who,  though  called  Christians,  were  most  cruel  tyrants, 
arrogated  to  themselves  the  election  of  the  Roman  pon- 
tiffs. Alas,  the  shame!  Alas,  the  mischief!  What 
monsters,  horrible  to  behold,  were  then  raised  to  the  holy 
see,  which  angels  revere  !  What  evils  did  they  perpe- 
trate, what  tragedies  ensued  !  With  what  pollutions  was 
this  see,  though  itself  without  spot  or  wrinkle,  then 
stained  !  What  corruptions  infected  it!  What  filthiness 
defiled  it,  and  hence  what  marks  of  perpetual  infamy  are 
upon  it !"  This,  we  must  remember,  is  the  language  of 
a  papist,  which  nothing  but  stubborn  fact  would  have 
forced  from  him.  He  speaks,  indeed,  of  the  papal  do- 
minion in  this  country  as  in  a  state  of  perversion  and 
abuse ;  but  he  ought  to  have  known  that  popery  was 
now  in  its  glory,  and  had  attained  its  maturity.  These 
were  its  natural  and  legitimate  fruits.  And  the  only  rea- 
son it  had  not  arrived  at  this  state  long  before,  was  the 
want  of  power  and  means. 

Amidst  all  these  commotions,  and  the  reiterated  crimes 
and  contests  of  those  who  called  themselves  Christ's  vice- 
gerents, so  great  was  the  prevailing  ignorance  and  super- 
stition of  the  times,  so  debased  and  blinded  were  the 
minds  of  men,  that  the  power  and  influence  of  the  popes 
were  continually  advancing.  It  is  true  that  Otto  the 
Great  introduced  a  law  that  no  pope  should  be  elected 
without  the  knowledge  and  consent  of  the  emperor,  and 
this  regulation  continued  to  the  end  of  the  century.  This 
emperor,  with  his  son  and  grandson  of  the  same  name, 
held  uniformly  their  right  of  supremacy  over  the  city  of 
Rome  and  its  territory,  as  well  as  over  the  pope  himself. 
And  the  more  intelligent  bishops  of  France  and  Ger- 


72  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

many,  throughout  the  century,  were  on  the  alert  to  pre- 
vent the  usurpations  of  the  pope.  But  still  the  popes, 
sometimes  openly  and  directly,  and  sometimes  by  strata- 
gem, invaded  the  rights  of  both  emperors  and  kings ; 
and  it  has  been  observed  that  there  were  bishops  in  this 
century,  though  never  before,  that  called  the  bishops  of 
Rome,  bishops  of  the  world  ;  and  some  among  the  French 
clergy  conceded,  what  had  never  before  been  heard  of, 
"  that  the  bishops  receive,  indeed,  all  their  power  from 
God,  hut  through  St.  Peter,^^  (i.  e.  the  Pope.)  In  this 
century,  also,  the  inferior  bishops  began  to  seek  worldly 
power  and  possessions,  and  actually  obtained  jurisdiction 
over  cities  and  districts  of  country;  and  thus  became,  in 
fact,  counts,  marquesses,  and  dukes.  Hence  it  was  that 
from  this  time  onward,  so  many  bishops  and  abbots  were 
to  be  seen  sustaining  also  characters  entirely  foreign  to 
their  sacred  functions,  and  enjoying  the  rank  of  nobles 
and  princes ;  and  beside  their  ignorance  and  avarice, 
which  were  extreme,  the  papal  clergy  were  chargeable 
with  two  great  vices,  which  are  deplored  by  most 'of  the 
writers  of  those  times  ;  namely,  concubinage  and  simony. 
Not  only  the  priests,  but  the  monks  also,  connected  them- 
selves with  women  in  an  unlawful  manner,  and  with  these 
concubines,  and  the  children  born  of  them,  they  squan- 
dered the  property  of  the  church.  And  then,  there  was 
scarcely  any  such  thing  as  the  canonical  election  of 
bishops  and  abbots ;  but  the  kings,  princes,  and  nobles, 
either  conferred  the  sacred  offices  on  their  friends  and 
ministers,  for  whom  they  had  a  partiality,  or  sold  them 
to  the  highest  bidders.  Hence,  often,  men  the  most  unfit 
and  flagitious,  sometimes  soldiers  and  civil  magistrates, 
were  invested  with  spiritual  offices  of  the  highest  dignity 
and  importance. 

Such  was  the  holy  mother  church,  as  her  votaries  sn- 
perstitiously  and  ridiculously  call  her,  in  the  tenth  cen- 
tury. But  who  can  fail  to  see, that  this  church  had  be- 
come an  apostate  harlot  church,  long  before  this  time ; 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  13 

and  that  she  was  no  longer  to  be  considered  a  branch  or 
part  of  the  visible  church  of  Christ  ?  The  first  decidedly 
apostate  act  seems  to  have  been  committed  in  the  seventh 
century,  when  the  bishop  of  Rome  was  constituted  a 
pope  or  supreme  head  of  the  church.  The  apostacy  was 
continued,  and  the  character  of  a  harlot  church  still  more 
fully  developed  in  the  eighth  century,  when,  by  the  ces- 
sion of  the  provinces  of  Italy  by  the  king  of  France,  the 
pope  became  a  temporal  prince.  Christ  is  the  only  su- 
preme head  of  his  church.  When,  therefore,  any  man 
arrogates  this  honor,  or  when  any  church  acknowledge 
any  other  head,  they  renounce  their  allegiance  to  Christ 
and  become  apostate.  Christ  says,  "  my  kingdom  is  not 
of  this  world."  When,  therefore,  his  professed  minis- 
ters become  temporal  princes,  and  that  in  the  name  and 
by  virtue  of  their  office  in  the  church,  they  are  apostates 
from  the  principles  of  the  gospel.  And  when  a  church 
submits  to  such  dominion,  it  becomes  apostate,  and  in- 
stead of  a  mother  church,   is  properly  denominated  a 

MOTHER    OF    HARLOTS. 

The  eleventh  century  is  fruitful  in  events  which  con- 
cern the  advance  and  grandeur  of  popery.  The  papal 
bishops,  when  raised  to  the  rank  of  dukes,  counts  and 
nobles,  and  enriched  with  territories,  castles  and  wealth 
of  every  kind,  became  devoted  to  their  pleasures  and 
magnificence.  They  hovered  about  courts,  attended 
with  splendid  retinues  of  servants.  At  the  same  time, 
the  inferior  clergy,  few  of  whom  exhibited  any  virtue  or 
integrity,  gave  themselves  up  without  shame  to  frauds, 
debaucheries  and  crimes  of  various  descriptions.  At  the 
commencement  of  this  century,  the  popes  exercised  in- 
deed very  great  power  in  ecclesiastical  affairs.  For 
they  were  styled  by  most  persons,  masters  of  the  world, 
and  universal  fathers.  Still,  their  authority  had  till  now 
some  few  limits.  But  from  the  time  of  Leo  IX.,  the 
popes  labored  incessantly  to  be  acknowledged  as  sove- 
reign in  the  church,  not  only  as  superior  to  all  councils, 

7 


74  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

and  the  divinely  constituted  distributors  of  all  the  offices, 
and  disposers  of  all  the  property  in  the  church  ;  but  also, 
they  labored  to  be  acknowledged  as  lords  of  the  whole 
world,  judges  over  all  judges,  and  kings  over  all  kings. 
The  kings  of  Europe,  though  they  might  at  times  have 
resisted  this  arrogancy,  did,  on  several  occasions,  very 
imprudently  accede  to  these  assumptions,  to  secure  their 
own  private  ends.  Thus,  William  the  conqueror,  when 
he  was  about  to  invade  England  from  Normandy,  is  re- 
ported to  have  sent  ambassadors  to  the  pope,  in  order,  as 
Matthew  Paris  says,  that  the  enterprize  might  be  sanc- 
tioned by  apostolical  authority.  The  pope,  after  consi- 
dering the  claims  of  both  parties,  would  naturally  side 
with  him  who  was  likely  to  be  most  able  to  return  the 
favor,  therefore  he  sent  a  standard  to  William,  as  a  token 
of  his  approbation,  and  a  harbinger  of  royal  authority. 
And  the  Normans  are  said,  humbly  to  have  requested  of 
Leo  IX.  to  confer  on  them  territories  which  they  now 
occupied,  and  those  on  which  they  might  afterwards 
seize.  Benedict  IX.  was  a  man  of  such  flagitious  cha- 
racter, that  the  Roman  citizens  could  no  longer  endure 
him,  but  hurled  him  and  his  infallibility  from  the  papal 
chair.  But  he  was  restored  soon  after,  by  the  emperor 
Conrad.  As  he  continued  his  base  conduct,  the  Romans 
in  six  years  again  expelled  him,  and  assigned  the  pope's 
seat  to  John  of  Suabia,  who  was  called  Sylvester  III. 
But  after  three  months,  Benedict  again  forced  his  way  to 
the  papal  chair,  and  Sylvester  was  obliged  to  flee.  But 
finding  the  Romans  implacable  towards  him,  he  sold  the 
popedom  to  John  Gratian,  who  took  the  name  of  Gregory 
VI.  The  question  might  here  be  started,  where  was 
the  infallibilij;y  of  popery,  when  these  rival  popes  were 
struggling  to  subdue  each  other  ?  Was  this  a  struggle 
of  infallibility  with  itself,  or  did  this  important  quality 
stand  by,  w^aiting  for  the  victor  ?  At  any  rate,  it  would 
seem  that  the  holy  mother  had  now  become  a  monster, 
for  she  had  two  heads  !  The  emperor  Henry  at  length 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  75 

took  up  the  matter,  and  to  end  the  dispute  he  deposed 
both  popes,  notwithstanding  their  infallibility,  and  placed 
a  man  in  the  vacant  chair  who  was  called  Clement  II. 
But  on  the  death  of  Clement,  the  flagitious  and  pertina- 
cious Benedict  IX.  again  assumed  infallibility  and  seiz- 
ed the  chair.  The  year  following,  however,  he  was 
obliged  to  flee,  and  leave  the  popedom  to  Damasus  II. 
These  transactions  aflbrd  a  striking  illustration  of 
papal  prerogatives,  as  king  of  kings  and  lord  of  lords. 
The  truth  was,  the  pope  was  always  disposed  to  exer- 
cise this  supreme  power  when  he  could,  and  when  he 
could  not,  he  made  a  virtue  of  necessity  and  hoped  for 
better  times. 

In  this  century,  a  very  remarkable  character  appeared 
on  the  stage  of  papal  Europe,  whose  name  in  common 
life  was  Hildebrand,  but  who  at  length  became  pope  Gre- 
gory VII.  This  man  filled  the  Christian  world  with 
feuds,  conflicts  and  confusion.  He  was  a  Tuscan  by 
birth,  of  obscure  parentage;  first  a  monk  of  Clugni,  then 
archdeacon  of  the  church  of  Rome,  and  for  a  long  time 
he  possessed  a  paramount  influence  in  the  councils  of  the 
pope,  and  in  the  year  1073,  he  was  raised  to  the  papal 
dignity.  Hildehrand,  according  to  the  testimony  of  his- 
tory, was  a  man  of  rare  parts,  competent  to  the  greatest 
undertakings,  intrepid,  sagacious,  and  full  of  resources, 
but  beyond  measure  proud,  pertinacious,  impetuous,  un- 
tractable,  and  destitute  of  all  true  religious  principle.  The 
extravagance  of  his  views,  and  the  vastness  of  his  plans, 
are  discoverable  in  those  noted  propositions,  which,  from 
his  name,  are  called  the  dictates  of  Hildebrand.  These 
dictates,  according  to  Harduin,  are  twenty-seven  shortpro- 
positions  relating  to  the  supreme  power  of  the  pope  over 
the  whole  church,  and  over  states.  These  propositions 
are  found  in  the  second  book  of  the  epistles  of  Gregory 
VII.  .These  dictates  are  in  part  as  follows,  viz.  "  1.  The 
Roman  church  was  founded  by  our  Lord  alone.  2.  The 
Roman  pontiff  alone  is    justly    styled    universal.     3. 


76  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

He  alone  can  depose  bishops  and  restore  them.  His 
legate  has  the  precedence  of  all  bishops  in  councils, 
though  he  be  of  an  inferior  order,  and  he  can  issue  sen- 
tence of  deposition  against  them.  5.  The  pope  can  de- 
pose  absent  persons.  6.  No  person  may  live  under  the 
same  roof  with  one  excommunicated  by  the  pope.  7. 
The  pope  alone  is  competent,  as  occasion  shall  require, 
to  enact  new  laws,  to  gather  new  congregations,  to  di- 
vide rich  bishoprics,  and  to  unite  poor  ones.  8.  He 
alone  can  use  the  imperial  insignia.  9.  That  all  princes 
should  kiss  his  feet  only.  12.  It  is  lawful  for  him  to 
depose  emperors.  16.  No  council  without  his  order  is 
to  be  accounted  a  general  council.  18.  His  sentence  is 
not  to  be  reviewed  by  any  one,  while  he  alone  can  review 
the  sentences  of  all  others.  19.  He  can  be  judged  by 
no  man.  20.  No  person  may  presume  to  condemn  a 
person  that  appeals  to  the  apostolical  see.  21.  The 
greater  causes  of  every  church  should  be  carried  up  to 
that  see.  22.  The  Romish  church  never  erred,  nor 
will  it,  according  to  the  scriptures,  ever  err.  24.  That 
with  the  pope's  license  subjects  may  impeach  their  sove- 
reierns.  26.  No  one  is  to  be  esteemed  a  catholic  who 
does  not  harmonize  with  the  Romish  church.  27.  The 
pope  can  absolve  subjects  from  their  allegiance  to  un- 
righteous sovereigns." 

Nearly  the  whole  form  of  the  church  was  changed  by 
this  pope.  The  most  valuable  rights  of  other  men,  and 
communities,  were  subverted  and  transferred  to  the  pope. 
And  not  only  did  Hildebrand  introduce  a  new  code  of 
ecclesiastical  law,  but  he  endeavored  to  introduce  a  similar 
change  into  the  civil  code.  He  wished  to  reduce  all 
kingdoms  to  fiefs  of  St.  Peter,  (i.  e.  the  pope,)  and  to  sub- 
ject all  causes  of  princes  and  kings,  and  the  interests  of 
the  whole  world,  to  the  arbitriment  of  an  assembly  of 
bishops,  who  should  meet  annually  at  Rome.  He  pre- 
scribed the  following  oath  to  be  taken  by  all  future  em- 
perors or  kings  of  Rome,  viz,  "  From  this  hour  on- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  77 

ward,  I  will  be  faithful  with  upright  integrity  to  the 
apostle  Peter,  and  to  his  vicar  pope  Gregory,  and  what- 
ever the  said  pope  shall  command  me  under  the  form,  by 
true  obedience,  I  will  observe  with  fidelity.  And  on  the 
day  when  I  shall  first  see  him,  I  will  with  my  owri 
hands  make  myself  a  vassal  of  St.  Peter  and  him."  Gre- 
gory pretended  that  the  kingdom  of  France  was  tributary 
to  St.  Peter,  and  he  directed  his  ambassador  to  demand 
an  annual  tribute  from  the  French.  "  You  must,"  said 
he,  "  declare  to  all  the  Franks,  and  command  them  by 
true  obedience,  thateach  family  is  to  pay  annually  at  least 
one  denarius  to  St.  Peter,  if  they  recognize  him  as  their 
father  and  shepherd,  according  to  ancient  usage." 

He  insolently  addresses  Philip  I.,  the  king  of  France, 
in  the  following  manner.     "  Strive  to  the  utmost  to  make 
St.  Peter  (i.  e.  the  pope)  your  debtor,  for  in  his  hands  are 
your  kingdom  and  your  soul,  and  he  is  able  both  to  bind 
and  loose  you,  both  in  heaven  and  on  earth."     The  same 
pope  contended  that  the  kingdom  of  Spain  was,  from  an- 
cient times,  the  property  of  St.  Peter,  and  righteously  be- 
longs solely  to  the  apostolic  see.    And  some  of  the  Span- 
ish princes  appear  to  have  allowed  this  claim,  for  they 
actually  paid  a  tribute.    The  same  audacious  claims  were 
made  against  others,  and  we  may  say  most  of  the  king- 
doms of  Europe.     A  prince  of  Russia  is  said  to  have 
come  all  the  way  to  Rome,  to  obtain  the  kingdom  which 
he  inherited  from  his  father,  by  gift  of  the  pope.     And 
Gregory  most  graciously  granted  his  devout  prayer,  be- 
ing certainly  not  backward  to  perform  such  offices  ;  and, 
in  behalf  of  St.  Peter,  committed  the  government  of  the 
kingdom  to  the  Russian  prince.     If  Gregory's  success 
had  been  equal  to  his  wishes  or  his  purpose,  all  Europe 
would  at  this  day  have  been  one  great  empire  of  popery, 
tributary  to  the  Roman  pontiffs,  and  all  kings  and  lords 
would  have  been  vassals  of  the  pope.     But  the  attempts 
of  Gregory,  if  they  did  not  succeed  to  the  full  extent  of 
his  wishes,  were  not  wholly  in  vain.    For  from  this  time 

7* 


78  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

onward,  the  state  of  the  whole  of  Europe  was  changed, 
and  many  of  the  rights  and  prerogatives  of  kings  and 
emperors  were  either  abridged  or  annulled.  And,  if 
Gregory  was  not  as  successful  as  he  could  have  wished, 
in  regard  to  the  subjection  of  Europe,  his  triumph  in 
Italy  was  equal  to  his  most  sanguine  expectations.  He 
persuaded  Matilda,  the  daughter  of  Boniface,  (a  powerful 
and  opulent  duke  of  Tuscany,)  a  princess  of  great  in- 
fluence, with  whom  he  was  on  terms  of  great  intimacy, 
after  the  death  of  her  husband  and  her  mother,  to  make 
the  church  of  Rome  heir  to  all  her  estates,  both  in  Italy 
and  out  of  it.  The  popes,  as  historians  relate,  had  to  en- 
counter much  difficulty  respecting  this  splendid  inherit- 
ance, yet  after  various  struggles,  they  retained  no  small 
share,  which  they  hold  to  this  day. 

A  contest  having  arisen  between  Gregory  and  Henry 
IV.,  king  of  the  Romans,  the  pope  proceeded  to  excom- 
municate the  king,  and  absolve  his  subjects  from  their 
allegiance,  and  to  summon  the  king  to  Rome,  to  answer 
before  a  council  to  the  charges  brought  against  him.  In- 
dignant at  this  message,  the  king  called  a  council  and 
proceeded  to  depose  Gregory,  and  appointed  a  meeting 
for  the  election  of  a  new  pope.  This  raised  the  ire  of  his 
holiness,  and  both  parties  resorted  to  war.  Henry  was 
forsaken  by  some  of  his  princes,  and,  though  a  brave  man, 
was  reduced  to  circumstances  which  rendered  it  neces- 
sary for  him  to  make  his  submission  to  the  pope.  For 
this  purpose  he  repaired  barefooted,  in  the  depth  of  win- 
ter, with  his  wife  and  child,  to  the  city  where  the  pope 
then  was.  There  he  remained  at  the  gate  from  morning 
till  night  for  three  days  together,  fasting,  and  humbly 
craving  admittance  and  audience.  At  length  word  came 
from  the  pope  that  he  had  no  leisure  to  hold  converse 
with  him.  The  king  patiently  waited  at  the  gate,  until 
his  request  was  granted,  through  the  entreaties  of  Ma- 
tilda, the  pope's  mistress.  At  length  being  admitted,  as 
a  token  of  his  submission,  he  yielded  his  crown  into  the 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  79 

pope's  hands,  desiring  to  be  absolved  and  forgiven.  He 
obtained  absolution  from  the  sentence  of  excommunication 
only,  for  the  question  respecting  his  restoration  to  the 
throne  was  deferred.  Henry,  however,  was  soon  after  in 
a  condition  to  face  his  enemy.  He  entered  Rome  with 
an  army,  and  besieged  the  pope  in  the  castle  of  St.  An- 
gelo.  The  siege  was  raised  by  a  Norman  duke,  but  the 
pope  no  longer  feeling  safe  in  the  city,  left  Rome  ;  and 
in  the  year  1085,  this  most  ambitious  and  audacious  of  all 
the  popes  that  ever  lived,  came  to  his  end. 

The  twelfth  century  opened  with  no  brighter  prospects 
for  the  church,  and  no  improvement  in  the  character  of 
her  officers  and  teachers.     Concerning  this  century,  the 
testimony  of  history  is  as  follows.     Wherever  we  turn 
our  eyes  we  discover  traces  of  dishonesty,  ignorance, 
luxury,  and  other  vices  with  which  both  the  church  and 
the  state  were  contaminated,  by  those  who  pretended  to 
be  the  guardians  and  leaders  in  all  religious  concerns. 
If  we  except  a  few  individuals  vvho  were  of  a  better  cha- 
racter, and  who  lamented  the  profligacy  and   vices  of 
their  order,  all  of  them  disregarded  the  salvation  of  the 
people,  were  intent  on  following  their  base  propensities, 
increasing  their  wealth   and  honors,   encroaching  and 
trampling  on  the  rights  of  sovereigns  and  magistrates, 
and  living  in  luxury  and  splendor.    Bernhard,  in  his  five 
books  of  meditations,  addressed  to  pope  Eugene,  and  in 
his  apology  addressed  to  Abbot  William,  censures  and 
deplores  the  shameful  conduct  of  the  popes  and  bishops, 
and  the  base  lives  of  the  monks.     Hume,  in  his  history 
of  England,  chap.  10,  says  of  Richard  I.,  king  of  Eng- 
land, when  about  to  enter  on  his  crusade  to  Palestine, 
that  he  carried  so  little  of  the  appearance  of  sanctity  in 
his    conduct,   that  Fulk,  curate  of  Neville,   a  zealous 
preacher  of  the  crusade,  who  from  that  merit  had  ac- 
quired the  privilege  of  speaking  the  boldest  truths,  advised 
him  to  rid  himself  of  his  notorious  sins,  particularly  his 
pride,  avarice,  and  voluptuousness,  which  he  called  the 


80  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

king's  favorite  daughters.  You  counsel  well,  replied 
Richard,  and  I  hereby  dispose  of  the  first  to  the  Tem- 
plars, the  second  to  the  Be?iedictines,  and  the  third  to  m'i/ 
Prelates.  Such  a  sarcasm  from  the  king  shows  the  no- 
toriety of  clerical  vice,  as  well  as  the  direction  it  took 
in  the  principal  classes  of  clerical  persons.  In  the  pre- 
ceding chapter  Hume  says,  *'  We  are  told  by  Giraldus 
Cambrensis,  that  the  monks  and  prior  of  St.  Swithurn 
threw  themselves  one  day  prostrate  in  the  mire  before 
Henry  il.,  complaining  with  many  tears  and  much  dole- 
ful lamentation,  that  the  bishop  of  Winchester,  who  was 
also  their  abbot,  had  cut  off  three  dishes  from  their  table. 
Hov/  many  has  he  left  you,  said  the  king  ?  Ten  only, 
replied  the  disconsolate  monks.  I  myself,  exclaimed  the 
king,  never  have  more  than  three,  and  I  enjoin  your 
bishop  to  reduce  you  to  the  same  number."  The  great 
object  of  the  popes  during  the  twelfth  century,  was  to  re- 
tain the  possessions  and  power  which  had  been  gained 
by  their  predecessors,  and  to  extend  them  still  farther  if 
possible.  This  state  of  feeling  on  the  part  of  the  priest- 
hood brought  them  into  continual  collision  with  the  civil 
power.  The  dispute  about  the  right  of  investitures,  which 
had  armed  Gregory  VII.  and  Henry  IV.  against  each 
other,  did  not  cease  with  the  death  of  the  former.  But 
Paschal  II.,  who  was  created  pope  near  the  close  of  the 
preceding  century,  renewed  the  decrees  of  his  predeces- 
sors against  investitures,  and  again  excommunicated 
Henry.  The  king  resolutely  resisted  these  attempts, 
until,  two  years  after,  his  own  son,  Henry  V.,  declared 
against  him,  and  his  cause  was  irreparably  ruined.  But 
the  pope  absolved  the  son  of  his  oath  of  obedience  to  his 
father,  and  zealously  supported  him  in  his  unnatural 
rebellion. 

At  length,  however,  a  violent  contest  arose  between  the 
pope  and  this  very  Henry  V.,  and  the  king  caused  his 
holiness  to  be  seized,  and,  as  a  prisoner,  to  be  conveyed 
to  the  castle  of  Viterbo.     When  he  had  lain  there  a 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  81 

seasorj,  a  new  convention  was  formed,  in  which  the  pope 
conceded  to  the  king  the  right  of  giving  investiture  to 
bishops  and  abbots  with  the  staff  and  ring.  The  pope, 
however,  being  violently  accused  at  Rome  for  making 
this  concession,  he,  to  gain  the  favor  of  the  Romans,  as- 
sembled a  council  in  the  lateran  palace,  and  before  that 
council  humbly  confessed  his  fault  in  forming  such  a 
convention  with  the  emperor,  and  submitted  the  matter 
to  the  decision  of  the  council.  The  result  was,  that  the 
compact  was  rescinded,  and  the  emperor  or  king,  Henry 
v.,  was  excluded  from  communion,  and  even  classed 
among  heretics,  than  which,  nothing  in  that  age  was 
more  dreadful.  Soon  after,  the  pope  died.  In  suc- 
cession, two  popes  were  brought  forward  by  different 
parties,  which  event  exhibits  the  holy  mother  church 
again  with  two  heads  !  One  of  these  was  set  up  by  the 
emperor  in  opposition  to  the  one  elected  by  the  Romans ! 
The  latter,  finding  himself  unsafe  at  Rome,  retired  to 
France,  and  soon  after  died.  At  length,  under  Calixtus 
II.,  and  after  multiplied  efforts,  contests,  excommunica- 
tions, and  threats  of  rival  popes  and  pretenders,  a  peace 
was  settled,  and  the  question  about  investitures  was  put 
at  rest  by  giving  the  right,  substantially,  to  the  pope. 

A  dispute  arose  between  Hadrian  IV.,  pope  of  Rome, 
and  Frederick  I.,  surnamed  Barbarossa,  emperor  of 
Germany,  on  the  ground  that  the  pope  required  the  em- 
peror to  perform  the  office  of  groom  in  holding  his  stir- 
rups wHen  he  mounted  his  horse.  This  the  emperor 
refused  to  do.  An  open  rupture  seemed  about  to  take 
place,  when  the  pope  was  removed  by  death.  When  a 
new  pope  was  to  be  elected,  the  cardinals  were  divided 
into  two  factions.  Each  faction  elected  a  pope,  so  that 
holy  mother  was  again  furnished  with  two  heads  !  The 
emperor  joining  with  one,  the  other  was  obliged  to  quit 
Rome  and  Italy,  and  retire  to  France.  And  when  the 
successful  competitor  died,  another  was  immediately  put 
in  his  place.     The  exiled  pope,  however,  found  means  to 


83  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

return  to  Italy  and  prosecute  his  cause  with  some  success 
in  the  lateran  council  at  Rome.  The  emperor  in  the 
mean  time  marched  his  army  towards  Rome,  intending-  to 
chastise  those  cities  and  provinces  which  had  revoked 
from  him.  But  he  met  with  disappointments  and  re- 
verses which  materially  changed  the  aspect  of  affairs. 
He  concluded  a  peace  with  his  rival  pope,  Alexander  III. 
And  it  is  said  by  some  that  the  pope  compelled  the  em- 
peror to  kiss  his  great  toe  in  token  of  submission,  and  by 
others,  that  the  pope,  placing  his  foot  on  the  neck 
of  the  suppliant  emperor,  repeated  the  words  of  David, 
"  T^hou  shalt  tread  upon  the  lion  and  the  adder.''''  The 
correctness  of  this  account,  however,  is  questioned  by 
modern  writers. 

This  same  Alexander  III.  had  also  a  contest  with  Henry 
II.  of  England,  on  account  of  Thomas  Becket,  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  the  circumstances  of  which  were 
as  follows.  A  priest  of  the  popish  order  had  debauched 
the  daughter  of  a  gentleman  in  Worcestershire,  and  then 
murdered  the  father  to  prevent  the  effects  of  his  resent- 
ment. The  atrocity  of  the  crime  raised  a  spirit  of  indig- 
nation among  the  people,  and  the  king  insisted  that  the  as- 
sassin should  be  tried  by  the  civil  magistrate.  This  Becket 
opposed,  alleging  the  privileges  of  the  church.  In  order 
to  determine  this  matter,  the  king  assembled  a  council  of 
the  nobility  and  prelates  at  Clarendon,  to  which  he  sub- 
mitted this  great  and  important  affair,  and  desired  their 
concurrence.  A  number  of  regulations  were  then  drawn 
up,  which  were  afterwards  well  known  under  the  title  of 
the  Constitutions  of  Clarendon,  and  were  then  voted 
without  opposition.  By  these  regulations  it  was  enacted 
that  clergymen,  accused  of  any  crime,  should  be  tried  in 
the  civil  courts,  that  laymen  should  not  be  tried  in  the 
spiritual  courts  except  by  legal  and  reputable  witnesses. 
Pope  Alexander  condemned  these  regulations  in  the 
most  decisive  manner,  and  finally  annulled  them.  Becket 
took  part  with  his  holiness,  and  fled  to  the  pope,  who  was 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  83 

then  in  France.  The  pope  and  Becket  were  not  remiss 
to  retort  their  fulminations,  and  to  shake  the  very  foun- 
dations of  the  king's  authority.  Becket  compared  him- 
self to  Christ,  who  was  condemned  by  a  lay  tribunal,  and 
who  was,  as  Becket  represented,  crucified  anew  under 
the  oppressions  under  which  the  church  now  labored. 
But  he  did  not  rest  in  mere  complaint;  he  issued  a  cen- 
sure excommunicating  the  king's  chief  ministers  by 
name»  and  all  who  obeyed  or  favored  the  Constitutions  of 
Clarendon.  At  length,  however,  a  compromise  was 
effected  by  which  Becket  was  permitted  to  return  to  Eng- 
land. But  nothing  could  exceed  the  insolence  of  Becket 
on  his  return.  Instead  of  retiring  quietly  to  his  diocess, 
with  that  modesty  which  became  a  man  just  pardoned 
by  his  king,  he  made  a  progress  through  Kent  in  all  the 
splendor  and  magnificence  of  the  pope  himself.  As  he 
approached  Southark,  the  clergy  and  laity,  men  of  all 
ranks  and  ages,  came  forth  to  meet  him,  and  celebrated 
his  triumphal  entry  with  hymns  of  joy.  Thus  being 
confident  of  the  support  of  the  multitude,  he  began  to 
launch  forth  his  thunders  against  those  who  had  been 
his  former  opposers.  The  archbishop  of  York,  who  had 
crowned  Henry's  eldest  son  in  his  absence,  was  the  first 
against  whom  he  denounced  sentence  of  suspension. 
The  bishops  of  London  and  Salisbury  he  actually  ex- 
communicated. One  man  he  excommunicated  for  having 
spoken  against  him,  and  another  for  cutting  off  the  tail 
of  his  horse. 

Henry  was  in  Normandy  while  the  primate  was  thus 
triumphantly  parading  through  the  kingdom.  And  it 
was  not  without  the  highest  indignation  that  he  received 
information  of  his  turbulent  insolence.  When  the  sus- 
pended and  excommunicated  prelates  arrived,  his  anger 
knew  no  bound.  The  archbishop  of  York  remarked, 
that  while  Becket  lived,  the  king  could  never  expect  to 
enjoy  any  peace.  The  king  replied,  that  he  had  no 
faithful  friends  about  him,  or  he  should  not  so  long  have 


84  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

been  exposed  to  the  insolence  of  that  ungrateful  hypo- 
crite. These  words,  whatever  may  have  been  their  in-' 
tent,  induced  four  of  his  courtiers  to  repair  secretly  to 
England,  and  slay  the  primate  in  the  year  1170.  The 
assassins  immediately  fled  to  Rome,  where  they  obtained 
absolution,  on  condition  of  doing  penance  and  going  into 
perpetual  exile.  The  king,  after  various  altercations, 
and  making  such  expiation  as  the  pope  required,  a  part 
of  which  was,  that  he  should  walk  barefoot  to  Becket's 
tomb,  and  there  be  scourged  on  the  naked  back,  ob- 
tained absolution.  As  for  Becket,  he  was  at  once  en- 
rolled among  the  holy  martyrs,  and  considered  a  glori- 
fied saint  of  the  highest  order,  and  so  stands  in  the  calen- 
dar of  the  popish  church. 

Thus  it  appears,  that  the  popish  priesthood  of  that  age 
had  renounced  all  subordination  to  the  magistrate  ;  they 
openly  claimed  exemption,  in  criminal  accusations,  from 
a  trial  before  the  courts  of  justice,  and  were  gradually 
aiming  at  a  like  exemption  in  civil  matters.  Spiritual 
penalties  alone  could  be  inflicted  on  their  offences.  And 
as  the  priesthood  had  very  much  multiplied  in  England, 
and  many  of  the  popish  priests  were  of  very  low  charac- 
ter, crimes  of  the  deepest  dye,  murders,  robberies,  adul- 
teries and  rapes,  were  daily  committed  with  impunity  by 
the  priests.  It  had  been  found,  for  example,  on  inquiry, 
that  no  less  than  an  hundred  murders  had,  since  the 
king's  accession,  (from  1 154  to  1 163,)  been  perpetrated  by 
the  servants  of  the  pope,  who  had  never  been  called  to 
an  account  for  these  offences.  Introduction  to  the  priest- 
hood had  become  a  full  protection  for  all  kinds  of  enor- 
mity. The  papal  church  was  now  in  the  plenitude  of  its 
power,  the  zenith  of  its  glory.  Such,  then,  must  be  con- 
sidered its  legitimate  fruits.  "By  their  fruits,"  saith 
our  Saviour,  "ye  shall  know  them.  Do  men  gather 
grapes  of  thorns  or  figs  of  Thistles  1  They  come  to  you 
in  sheeps'  clothing,  but  inwardly  they  are  ravening 
wolves." 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  85 

The  thirteenth  century  exhibits  increasing  disclosures 
of  the  deep  and  deadly  corruptions  of  the  apostate  church. 
The  testimony  of  history  in  regard  to  this  century  is, 
that  both  Greek  and  Latin  writers  censure  and  condemn, 
without  reserve,  the  iniquities  and  vices  of  their  bishops 
and  religious  teachers,  nor  can  any  one,  acquainted  with 
the  history  of  this  century,  pronounce  their  complaints 
excessive.  A  lively  picture  of  the  truth  in  this  respect, 
mgy  be  seen  by  reading  the  history  of  the  popes.  They 
uniformly  and  perseveringly  urged  with  violence,  mena- 
ces, fraud  and  force  of  arms,  that  fundamental  principle 
of  the  papal  canon  law,  that  the  pope  is  the  sovereign 
lord  of  the  whole  world,  and  that  all  other  rulers  in 
church  and  state,  have  just  so  much  power  and  authority, 
as  he  sees  fit  to  allow  them  to  have.  Resting  on  this 
fundamental  principle,  the  popes  arrogated  to  themselves 
the  absolute  power,  not  only  of  conferring  sacred  offices 
or  benefices,  as  they  are  called,  but  also  of  giving  away 
empires  ;  and  likewise  of  divesting  kings  and  princes  of 
their  crowns  and  authority. 

In  order  to  reign  more  absolutely  and  securely  both  in 
church  and  state,  the  popes  claimed  particularly  the  right 
of  appointing  all  presiding  officers  in  the  church,  of  every 
rank  and  description,  bishops,  abbots,  canons,  &c.,  at 
their  pleasure.  Thus,  they  who  had  formerly  contend- 
ed so  strenuously  for  the  free  election  of  presiding  officers 
in  the  church,  in  opposition  to  the  encroachments  of  em- 
perors and  kings,  now  themselves  prostrated  the  whole 
right  of  free  elections  ;  and  either  reserved  to  themselves 
the  richest  benefices,  or  provided  for  the  vacant  churches 
by  assigning  to  them  their  dependents  or  friends ;  and 
even  set  aside  prelates  who  were  duly  elected,  in  order  to 
substitute  others  in  their  places.  The  pretence  was  care 
for  the  safety  of  the  church,  and  fear  lest  heretics  should 
creep  into  the  fold  of  Christ.  Boniface  VIII.  declared 
boldly  and  distinctly,  that  the  whole  church  is  under  the 
control   of  the  pope ;  and  that  kings  and  patrons,  and 

8 


"86  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

religious  bodies  have  the  powers  only  which  the  vicars 
of  Christ  choose  to  give  them.  The  legates  sent  into 
the  different  provinces  by  the  popes,  eagerly  imitated  their 
masters,  for  they  unhesitatingly  invaded  the  rights  of  re- 
ligious bodies,  and  conferred  the  lesser  benefices,  and 
sometimes  the  larger  too,  at  their  pleasure,  on  such  as 
they  were  partial  to,  on  account  of  their  money,  or  for 
other  similar  reasons.  They  extorted  money  in  various 
ways,  and  often  in  such  as  were  most  iniquitous;  they  de- 
ceived the  unguarded  by  forged  papal  briefs,  and  by 
other  artifices.  They  not  unfrequently  disturbed  the 
public  tranquillity,  and  put  themselves  at  the  head  of  fac- 
tions ;  they  carried  on  a  most  scandalous  and  wicked 
traffic  in  relics  and  indulgences,  and  did  other  things 
even  worse  than  these.  Hence,  all  the  writers  of  these 
times  are  full  of  complaints  of  the  crimes  and  villanies 
of  the  papal  legates.  This  evil  extended  so  far  that  in 
1256,  pope  Alexander  IV.  felt  himself  compelled  to  issue 
a  severe  edict  against  the  fraudulent  practices  of  legates. 
But  men  who  had  influence  at  the  court  of  Rome  could 
easily  evade  its  force. 

Pope  Innocent  III.  who  governed  the  papal  church  in 
the  beginning  of  this  century,  though  learned  accord- 
ing to  the  standard  of  that  age,  and  also  laborious,  was 
nevertheless  rough,  cruel,  avaricious  and  arrogant.  He 
adopted  in  full  the  maxims  of  Gregory  VII.,  and  claim- 
ed supreme  dominion  in  the  church,  in  respect  to  reli- 
gious concerns,  all  over  the  world.  Consequently  he  cre- 
ated kings  when  and  where  he  pleased.  In  Asia  he  gave 
a  king  to  the  Armenians.  He  raised  a  duke  of  Bohemia, 
and  a  duke  of  the  Wallachians,  and  Bulgarians,  to  the 
honors  of  royalty.  And  in  person  he  crowned  at  Rome, 
and  saluted  as  king,  Peter  II.  of  Arragon,  who  had  ren- 
dered his  dominions  tributary  to  the  church.  Many 
other  proofs  of  his  claiming  absolute  power  o\er  the 
whole  world,  may  easily  be  gathered  out  of  his  epistles. 

But   the   event  respecting   popery,    which   above  all 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  87 

Others,  distinguishes  this  century,  is  the  rise  and  esta- 
blishment of  the  bloody  and  abominable  court  of  the 
Inquisition.  Some  account  of  the  origin  and  progress 
of  this  institution,  may  properly  be  given  in  this  con- 
nexion. But  the  character,  practices,  and  persecutions 
of  this  bloody  tribunal,  will  be  the  subject  of  a  distinct 
section. 

It  was  found  by  the  friends  of  popery,  that  the  extra- 
vagant pretensions  of  the  prelates  and  popes,  had  opened 
the  eyes  of  many  to  see  the  deformity  of  the  existing 
system,  and  the  opposition  of  some  was  excited  against 
assumptions  so  vain  and  arrogant.  Among  these  re- 
formers, Peter  Waldo,  of  Lyons,  and  his  followers,  called 
Waldenses  were  conspicuous.  They  were  all  branded 
as  infamous  heretics.  These  heretics  were  rapidly  mul- 
tiplying in  all  parts  of  the  papal  dominions.  And  now, 
that  the  cause  of  popery  could  no  longer  be  defended  by 
scripture  or  sound  argument,  it  became  necessary  to  re- 
sort to  some  new  and  extraordinary  means,  to  support  the 
fabric  of  the  papal  dominion.  Innocent  III.,  on  learning 
the  state  of  the  case,  sent  extraordinary  legates  into  those 
provinces,  where  the  alleged  heresies  were  breaking  forth. 
The  heretics  were  to  be  destroyed,  root  and  branch,  by  all 
possible  means.  Among  those  who  entered  with  great 
zeal  upon  this  work  of  extirpating  heretics,  was  one 
Dominic,  a  Spaniard,  and  founder  of  the  order  of  pfeach- 
ing  monks,  called  Dominicans.  This  man  very  strenu- 
ously assailed  the  heretics,  and  is  generally  considered 
the  founder  of  the  Inquisition.  As  this  measure  was 
found  very  effectual,  and  was  entirely  consonant  with  the 
genius  of  the  papal  church,  and  the  spirit  of  its  sup- 
porters, similar  papal  legates  were  sent  into  nearly  all 
the  cities,  whose  inhabitants  were  suspected  of  heresy. 
And  that  this  tribunal,  devised  for  subduing  heretics, 
might  awaken  more  terror,  the  popes  prevailed  on  the 
emperors  and  sovereigns  of  Europe,  to  extend  the  arm 
of  civil  power  in  execution   of  ecclesiastical   sentence, 


88"^  HISTORY    OF     POPERY. 

and  to  enact  severe  laws  against  those  called  heretics, 
requiring  the  magistrates  to  punish  with  death,  and  parti- 
cularly with  burning  at  the  stake,  all  such  as  should  be 
adjudged  obstinate  heretics  by  the  inquisitors.  In  regard 
to  the  proceedings  of  this  tribunal,  they  were  uniformly 
marked  with  the  utmost  injustice,  cruelty,  oppression,  and 
deliberate  malice.  And  thus,  by  means  of  this  tribunal, 
more  than  by  any  other  means,  was  the  papal  church 
prepared  to  fulfil  an  ancient  prophecy,  in  which  she  is 
described  as  "  wearing  out  the  saintsJ^  The  people  of 
God  were  in  many  instances  literally  worn  out,  in  the 
dungeons,  and  under  the  tortures  of  the  inquisition.  Of 
these  persecutions  an  account  will  be  given  in  the  sequel. 
In  the  mean  time,  it  may  be  proper  here  to  subjoin  some 
statement  of  the  principles  and  rules  by  which  the  pro- 
ceedings of  this  tribunal  were  regulated.  The  power 
of  the  inquisitors  was  unlimited  :  they  proceeded  against 
whom  they  pleased,  without  any  consideration  of  age, 
sex,  or  rahk.  However  infamous  the  accusers,  the  accu- 
sation was  deemed  valid  ;  and  even  anonymous  informa- 
tion was  regarded  as  sufficient  evidence.  The  dearest 
friends  ox  kindred  could  not,  without  danger,  serve  any 
one  who  was  imprisoned  on  account  of  religion.  To 
convey  to  those  who  were  confined  a  little  straw,  or  to 
give  them  a  cup  of  water,  was  esteemed  favoring  here- 
tics. *  No  lawyer  dared  to  plead  even  for  his  own 
brother,  or  notary  dared  to  register  any  thing  in  favor  of 
the  reformed.  The  malice  of  the  papists  went  even  be- 
yond the  grave  :  they  often  dug  up  the  bones  of  those 
accused  of  heresy,  and  burnt  them  to  ashes,  and  strewed 
them  in  the  river. 

A  person  became  suspected  of  heresy,  if  he  said  any 
thing  that  might  offend  others,  if  he  misused  the  sacra- 
ments, or  other  sacred  things,  if  he  treated  the  images 
with  disrespect,  if  he  possessed,  read,  or  gave  to  others  to 
read,  books  prohibited  by  the  inquisition,  if  he  said  mass 
or  heard  confessions  without  being  in  orders,  if  he  at-< 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  89 

tended  even  for  once  the  preaching  of  heretics,  if  he  did 
not  appear  before  the  inquisition  as  soon  as  cited,  if  he 
showed  any  kindness  to  a  heretic,  or  assisted  him  to 
escape.  Abettors  of  heresy  were  those  who  harbored 
heretics  or  did  not  give  them  up.  When  the  inquisition 
discovered  a  transgressor  of  their  laws,  either  by  common 
report  or  by  their  spies,  or  by  an  informer,  he  was  cited 
three  times  to  appear  before  them,  and  if  he  did  not  ap- 
pear, he  was  forthwith  condemned.  It  was  safest  to 
appear  on  the  first  citation,  because  the  longer  a  man  de- 
layed, the  more  guilty  would  he  be  esteemed.  And  the 
inquisitors  had  their  spies,  and  a  thousand  concealed  ways 
for  getting  an  absconding  criminal  into  their  power. 
When  a  reputed  heretic  was  once  in  the  hands  of  the 
inquisition,  no  one  dared  to  inquire  after  him,  to  write  to 
him,  to  intercede  for  him,  or  in  any  way  to  manifest  any 
interest  in  his  welfare.  Friends  must  here  abandon 
friends.  Husband  and  wife  must  be  put  asunder,  parents 
must  abandon  their  children  to  the  jaws  of  this  horrid 
Moloch,  and  never  open  their  mouths  in  complaint  or 
sympathy.  All  this  will  be  verified  by  facts  hereafter  to 
be  related.  The  victim  was  first  secured  by  a  sudden 
and  unexpected  arrest,  often  in  the  silent  hours  of  the 
night.  And  the  announcement  of  the  holy  inquisition, 
by  its  officers,  at  any  door,  or  under  any  window,  would 
at  once  remove  its  bars,  and  cause  the  inmates  of  do- 
mestic quiet  to  spring  from  their  beds,  to  hear  and  obey 
the  mandates  of  the  holy  office.  No  barrier  could  avail 
here.  The  order  must  be  instantly  obeyed,  or  life  was 
the  penalty.  When  the  victim  was  seized  and  all  his 
effects  secured,  then  the  process  began.  But  it  was 
usually  protracted  in  the  most  tedious  manner.  After 
many  days,  and  perhaps  months  or  years,  which  the 
accused  dragged  out  in  a  loathsome  dungeon,  the  keeper 
would  ask  him,  as  if  it  were  accidental,  whether  he 
wished  for  a  hearing.  When  he  appeared  before  his 
judges,  they  would  inquire,  as  if  they  knew  nothing 

8* 


90  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

about  him,  who  he  was,  and  what  he  wanted.     If  he 
wished  to  be  informed  what  offence  he  had  committed, 
he  was  admonished  to  confess  his  fauUs  himself.     If  he 
confessed  nothing,  time  was  given  him  for  reflection,  and 
he  was  remanded  to  prison.     If,  after  a  long  time  allowed 
him,  he  still  confessed  nothing,  he  must  swear  to  answer 
truly  all  the  questions  put  to  him.      If  he  would  not 
swear,  he  was  condemned  without  farther  process.     If 
he  swore  to  give  answer,  he  was  questioned  in  regard  to 
his  whole  life,  without  making  known  to  him  his  offencfe. 
He  was,  however,  promised  a  pardon,  if  he  would  truly 
confess  all  his  offences  :   in  other  words,  if  he  would 
accuse  and  criminate  himself.     An  artifice  this,  by  which 
his  judges  often  learnt  more  than  they  knew  or  suspected 
before.     At  last  the  charges  were  presented  to  him  in 
writing,  and  counsel  also  was  assigned  him,  who,  how- 
ever, dare  not  say  a  word  in  his  favor,  and  whose  sole 
advice  was  that  he  should  confess  fully  his  faults.     The 
accuser   and  informer   against   him  were  never   made 
known,  but  the  charges  against  him,  and  these  were  often 
composed  of  things  drawn  from  his  own  lips  by  the 
promise  of  pardon,  were  put  into  his  hands,  and  he  was- 
required  to  prepare  for  defence.     But  what  defence  could 
be  made  in  such  a  case  ?     It  was  but  the  appearance 
of  justice  and  equity  of  proceeding — it  was  all  a  piece  of 
mockery,  for  no  defence  would  be  admitted — the  victim 
must  be  sacrificed,  and  the  spotless  purity  of  an  angel 
would  avail  nothing.     If  the  answers  of  the  accused  in 
his  defence  did  not  satisfy  the  inquisitors,  or  if  the  alle- 
gations against  him  were  likely  to  fail  for  want  of  osten- 
sible proof,  recourse  was  had  to  torture,  to  force  the  ne- 
cessary confession  from  the  criminal.     The  tortures  in 
common  use  in  the  inquisition,  for  the  purpose  of  forcing 
their  victims  to  confess  something  for  which  they  might 
condemn  them,  were,  the  rope,  water,  and  fire.     The 
rope  was  a  strong  cord  passed  under  the  arms,  which 
were  tied  behind  the  back  of  the  accused.     By  this  rope 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  91 

he  was  drawn  up  high  into  the  air  by  a  pulley,  and  there 
left  to  hang  for  a  time.  At  length  he  was  suddenly  let 
fall  to  within  half  a  foot  of  the  ground,  and  frequently 
his  joints  were  dislocated  by  the  shock.  If  he  still  per- 
sisted in  asserting  his  innocence,  or  would  not  confess 
any  thing  sufficiently  heinous  to  justify  his  condemna- 
tion, the  trial  by  water  was  next  introduced.  After 
making  him  drink  a  great  quantity  of  water,  he  was  laid 
upon  a  hollow  bench,  across  the  middle  of  which  a 
stick  of  timber  passed,  which  kept  the  middle  of  his  body 
suspended,  and  caused  most  intense  pain  in  the  spine. 
But  the  last  resort,  and  that  the  most  cruel  of  all  was, 
the  torture  by  fire.  In  this,  the  feet  were  first  smeared 
with  grease,  and  then  placed  in  near  contact  with  a  hot 
fire,  or  hot  plates  of  iron,  and  the  soles  left  to  burn  and 
crisp  by  inches,  until  the  victim  would  confess  all  that 
they  required.  Each  of  these  tortures  was  continued  as 
long  as  the  patient  could  bear  it  without  dying  ;  for  they 
would  not  allow  him  the  relief  of  death  ;  and  lest  he 
should  escape  too  soon  out  of  their  hands,  they  always 
had  a  physician  of  the  holy  office  present,  to  feel  the 
pulse,  and  watch  the  sufferer,  and  to  slacken  the  severity 
of  his  torture,  when  it  appeared  to  be  morethan  he  could 
live  under.  If  the  victim  now  confessed  ever  so  much, 
still  his  tortures  would  be  continued  for  a  season,  to  dis- 
cover his  motives,  and  then  to  make  him  disclose  all  his 
accomplices.  So  great  often  was  the  severity  of  the 
suffering,  and  so  strong  the  temptation  to  obtain  relief  by 
discovering  accomplices,  that  the  sufferer,  frantic  with 
pain,  and  hardly  knowing  what  he  said,  would  name 
innocent  persons,  because  he  knew  no  other  to  name, 
and  because  driven  to  phrenzy  with  his  torture.  On 
such  a  disclosure,  the  persons  named  were  instantly  ap- 
prehended, and  in  their  turn  subjected  to  all  the  tortures 
of  this  horrid  tribunal,  to  draw  from  them  similar  dis- 
closures. Thus,  if  persons  once  fell  into  the  hands  of 
these  monsters  in  human  shape,  there  was  no  relief.     If 


92  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

they  confessed  crimes,  they  were  punished  to  the  extent 
of  human  ingenuity  for  the  crimes.  If  they  did  not 
confess,  they  were  tortured  with  equal  severity  for  not 
confessing.  Turn  which  way  they  would,  innocent  or 
guihy,  their  destruction  was  inevitable,  and  that  in  a 
manner,  the  cruelty  and  barbarity  of  which  no  pen  can 
describe.  This  was  the  ordinary  course,  the  common 
law  of  this  bloody  court. 

To  form  proper  conceptions  of  the  Inquisition,  we 
must  not  view  it  in  the  distance,  but  bring  it  near,  and 
make  the  case  of  its  wretched  victims  our  own.  Suppose 
we  lived  in  a  community  where  its  power  was  felt,  and 
its  mandates  obeyed — nay,  more,  suppose  we  ourselves 
had  fallen  under  its  grasp,  or  that  its  ruthless  hand  were 
protruded  into  our  families,  to  seize  from  our  side,  or 
force  from  our  arms,  a  victim  for  its  racks  and  dungeons. 
Suppose  yourselves  liable  to  hear,  in  the  silence  of  mid- 
night, the  doleful  rap  at  your  door  or  your  window,  which 
is  followed  in  dismal  sounds  by  the  annunciation  of  the 
Holy  Inquisition  !  You  spring  from  your  bed,  and 
in  trembling  haste,  lest  by  delay  you  should  be  liable  to 
accusation,  you  open  your  doors  to  the  band  of  ruffians, 
who,  without  ceremony,  take  your  wife  or  your  child, 
and  hurry  off,  without  giving  you  time  even  for  a  last 
adieu,  to  the  holy  office.  In  the  bitterness  of  your  soul 
you  dare  not  breathe  an  audible  sigh,  or  whisper  a  com- 
plaint, much  less  dare  you  interpose  any  efforts  for  their 
rescue  or  relief.  You  may  not  even  inquire  after  them, 
or  ever  mention  their  names.  And  after  all  your  cau- 
tion, the  probability  is,  that  the  inquisitors,  by  the  force 
of  their  tortures,  will  compel  your  dearest  friends  to  im- 
plicate you  so  far,  as  that  you  may  shortly  have  a  call 
from  the  same  banditti,  and  be  hurried  off  to  the  same 
inevitable  ruin.  These  are  the  blessings  of  popery ;  the 
blessing  which  countries  under  her  influence  have  felt 
for  centuries.  And  what  completes  the  infernal  hypo- 
crisy of  this  court  is,  that  when  its  victims  are  delivered 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  93 

over  to  the  secular  power  to  be  punished,  the  life  of  the 
criminal  is  earnestly  pleaded  for,  on  the  ground  that  the 
holy  church  never  thirsts  for  blood ;  when,  at  the  very 
moment  this  plea  is  made,  the  civil  magistrate  knows  that 
if  he  should  pardon  or  spare,  it  would  be  at  the  peril  of 
his  own  life.  Such  is  the  inquisition  in  its  fundamental 
principles.  No  person  could  possibly  escape  destruction 
if  an  inquisitor  were  desirous  of  destroying  him.  A 
person  charged  with  heresy,  even  if  he  had  been  acquit- 
ted by  the  pope  himself,  might  still  be  condemned  by  the 
inquisition.  An  equivocal  promise  of  pardon  was  often 
given  to  induce  a  confession,  but  the  promise  had  no  bind- 
ing force  when  the  object  was  obtained.  And  even  death 
did  not  free  a  person  from  the  jurisdiction  of  this  court ; 
for  a  deceased  heretic  must  be  burnt  in  effigy.  The  in- 
quisitors do  not  deny  that  by  such  proceedings  many  in- 
nocent persons  will  suffer ;  but  this  gives  them  no  trou- 
ble, "Better,"  say  they,  "that  a  hundred  innocent  per- 
sons, who  are  good  catholics,  should  be  cut  off  and  go  to 
paradise,  than  to  let  one  heretic  escape  who  might  poison 
many  souls,  and  plunge  them  into  endless  perdition." 

A  peculiar  feature  of  popery,  by  which  the  thirteenth 
and  the  succeeding  centuries  were  distinguished,  was  the 
establishment  and  prevalence-  of  what  were  called  the 
Mendicant  orders  of  monks ;  that  is  to  say,  monks  who 
had  no  possessions  or  revenues  of  their  own,  but  who 
went  about,  living  on  the  earnings  of  others.  A  class  of 
persons  of  this  description  had  become  very  necessary  to 
the  interests  of  popery.  For  the  wealthy  clergy,  with- 
drawn from  the  care  of  the  church  by  their  opulence  and 
their  obsequiousness  to  the  popes,  and  by  indulging  in 
idleness  and  voluptuousness,  could  no  longer  be  employed 
in  arduous  labors,  and  the  opposers  of  popery  were  taking 
advantage  of  this  state  of  things,  by  reason  of  their  su- 
perior activity  and  self-denial.  They  were,  in  conse- 
quence, acquiring  great  influence,  and  gathering  congre- 
gations on  every  side.     Moreover,  it  was  a  favorite  sen- 


94  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

timent  with  the  opponents  of  popery,  that  voluntary  po- 
verty and  suffering  constituted  a  primary  virtue  in  a  ser- 
vant of  Jesus  Christ.  They  therefore  required  their  own 
teachers  to  live  in  poverty  like  the  apostles,  while  they 
reproached  the  papal  church  for  its  riches,  and  for  the 
vices  of  the  clergy  growing  out  of  these  riches.  By  the 
propagation  of  these  sentiments,  and  the  exemplification 
of  them  in  their  lives,  the  heretics,  as  the  papists  called 
them,  gained  favor  with  the  people.  A  class  of  persons, 
therefore,  was  much  wanted  in  the  ranks  of  popery,  who, 
by  the  austerity  of  their  manners,  and  an  apparent  con- 
tempt of  riches,  and  the  ostensible  sanctity  of  their  rules 
of  life,  might  resemble  such  teachers  as  the  heretics 
both  commended  and  exhibited,  and  whom  neither  their 
worldly  interests  nor  pleasures,  nor  the  fear  of  princes 
and  nobles,  could  induce  to  neglect  their  obligations  to 
the  interests  of  popery,  and  the  pope  himself.  Innocent 
III.  was  the  first  to  discover  this  exigency.  He  had  a 
manifest  partiality  for  mendicant  orders,  for  he  sent  these 
mendicant  or  begging  monks  into  all  parts  of  the  world, 
as  heralds  of  the  papal  power ;  and  to  increase  their  re- 
spectability and  influence,  he  exempted  them  from  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  bishops,  and  declared  them  to  be  re- 
sponsible immediately  and  solely  to  the  pope  himself. 
By  this  means  the  number  of  mendicant  friars  was  so 
rapidly  increased,  that  they  became  a  burden  to  the  peo- 
ple, and,  as  one  pope  afterward  denominated  them,  an  un- 
bridled throng.  As  these  orders  were  patronized  by  the 
pope,  and  were  properly  his  scavingers,  he  gave  them 
full  liberty  to  go  where  they  pleased.  And  as  they  made 
much  more  show  of  piety  and  self-denial  than  was  com- 
mon among  the  papists,  all  Europe  was  suddenly  filled 
with  admiration  and  reverence  for  religious  beggars. 
The  people  would  go  to  hear  nobody  but  the  beggars, 
and  would  seldom  receive  the  sacraments  or  burial  from 
any  other  hands.  Indeed,  such  was  the  superstitious  re- 
verence felt  for  these  begging  friars,  that  in  a  short  time 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  95 

they  found  their  way  to  the  principal  stations  of  influence, 
both  in  church  and  state.  The  orders  of  mendicant 
friars  most  known  were  four,  viz.,  Dominicans,  Francis- 
cans, Carmelites,  and  Augustinians.  But  of  these,  the 
Dominicans  and  Franciscans  were  most  distinguished  by 
their  glory  and  power.  For  notwithstanding  their  pro- 
fessed poverty,  which  gave  them  their  influence,  no  sooner 
did  they  gain  the  influence  than  they  perverted  it  for  their 
own  emolument,  and  thus  reverted  to  the  very  evils 
which  they  professed  to  avoid,  viz.,  opulence  and  vice. 
And  during  three  centuries  these  two  orders  of  monks 
had  the  control  of  almost  every  interest  and  transaction 
in  church  and  state.  They  held  the  highest  offices  both 
ecclesiastical  and  civil ;  they  taught  with  absolute  au- 
thority both  in  schools  and  churches,  and  defended  the 
majesty  of  the  popes  against  kings,  bishops,  and  here- 
tics, with  untiring  zeal  and  amazing  success.  From  the 
thirteenth  century  to  the  reformation  by  Luther,  they  were 
the  soul  of  popery,  and  the  projectors  and  executors  of 
every  important  enterprise. 

Dominic,  the  founder  of  the  Dominican  order,  was  a 
Spaniard  of  the  noble  family  of  Guzman,  He  was  a 
regular  canon  of  Osma,  a  man  of  sanguine  temperament, 
burning  with  zeal  against  heretics,  who  then,  as  before 
intimated,  greatly  disquieted  the  papal  dominion.  Do- 
minic, with  a  few  companions,  went  into  France  to  wage 
war  with  the  heretics  who  abounded  in  that  country. 
There  he  engaged  them  with  sermons  and  essays ;  but 
not  successful  in  this  warfare,  he  next  resorted  to  military 
force,  and  finally  to  the  tremendous  power  of  the  inqui- 
sition, of  which  he  is  considered  the  founder.  With 
these  carnal  and  anti-scriptural  weapons  he  obtained  ce- 
lebrity for  his  success  against  the  Waldenses  and  Albi- 
genses.  Then  going  into  Italy,  he  readily  obtained  great 
favor  with  the  reigning  popes,  and  received  permission 
to  establish  a  new  fraternity,  the  special  object  of  which 
was  to  be  the  extirpation  of  heretics.     Dominic  was  the 


96  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

first  general  of  this  order,  and  so  continued  till  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1221.  In  the  year  1277,  the  order 
had  thirty-five  cloisters  or  monasteries  for  men  in  Spain, 
fifty-two  in  France,  thirty-two  in  Tuscany,  fifty-three  in 
Germany,  forty-six  in  Lomhardy,  thirty  in  Hungary, 
thirty-six  in  Poland,  twenty-eight  in  Denmark,  forty  in 
England,  besides  some  in  other  countries,  and  a  large 
number  of  nunneries  or  cloisters  for  women. 

Francis,  the  founder  of  the  Franciscans,  was  the  son  of 
a  merchant  in  Umbria,  and  was  a  dissolute  and  reckless 
youth.  But  on  recovering  from  a  dangerous  sickness, 
brought  upon  him  by  his  licentious  conduct,  he  exhibited 
a  kind  of  religious  lunacy,  or  fanaticism.  Having  by 
accident  heard  these  words  of  Christ  repeated,  "  Provide 
neither  gold,  nor  silver,  nor  brass  in  your  purses,  nor 
scrip  for  your  journey,"  &c.,  he  conceived  that  the 
essense  of  the  gospel,  as  taught  by  Christ,  consisted  in 
absolute  penury  in  all  things.  This  test  he  therefore 
prescribed  to  himself  and  his  followers.  However  sin- 
cere he  may  have  been  in  his  intentions,  he  was  greatly 
ignorant  of  the  principles  of  the  gospel,  and  weakened  in 
his  intellect  by  the  force  of  his  disease,  and  greatly  per- 
verted the  gospel,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  course  of  his  his- 
tory. The  pope  regarded  this  new  order  of  paupers  as 
peculiarly  favorable  to  the  interests  of  his  dominion  in 
these  times,  when  he  w^as  greatly  annoyed  by  the  activity 
of  his  opponents.  Francis  was  so  humble,  (at  least  in 
profession,)  that  he  would  not  sufier  his  followers  to  be 
called  by  the  name  of  brethren^  but  little  brethren  they 
must  be,  as  taking  a  low  place.  He  imagined  that  Christ 
appeared  to  him,  and  that  he  had  visions  and  prophetic 
dreams.  In  a  pilgrimage  to  Rome,  he  saw  a  multitude 
of  beggars  about  the  church  of  St.  Peter,  and  exchanged 
clothes  with  one  of  the  most  shabby,  and  herded  several 
days  with  their  company.  Praying  one  day  near  the 
walls  of  a  decayed  church  in  his  native  city,  he  fancied 
that  he  heard  a  voice,  saying,  "  Go,  Francis,  repair  my 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  S7 

house,  which  you  see  is  decayed."  He  went  immediately 
and  sold  a  large  quantity  of  cloth  belonging  to  his  father, 
and  brought  the  avails  to  the  priest  of  that  church  for  its 
repair.  His  father  was  offended,  and  attempted  to  arrest 
him  as  a  deranged  person  ;  in  which  light  he  was  now 
generally  viewed  by  his  acquaintance.  In  the  year  1206, 
his  father  took  all  property  out  of  his  hands,  lest  he  should 
squander  it.  But  he  clothed  himself  in  skins,  and  lived 
like  a  beggar,  travelling  the  country,  and  exhorting  all 
that  came  in  his  way  to  be  religious.  Some  regarded 
him  to  be  insane,  and  others  as  a  distinguished  saint. 
But  he  contrived  to  raise  money  enough  to  repair  the 
old  church  above  mentioned,  and  two  others  in  the  vici- 
nity. At  one  of  them  he  established  his  head  quarters, 
and  established  an  order  of  monks,  about  the  year  1208. 
Absolute  poverty,  entire  obedience,  much  fasting  and 
prayer,  with  constant  efforts  to  convert  sinners,  were  the 
requisites  for  admission  to  his  order.  Francis  travelled 
much,  preaching  and  working  miracles,  and  enjoying 
revelations.  On  a  certain  time,  while  preaching,  he  was 
greatly  disturbed  by  the  chattering  of  some  swallows 
about  the  premises.  He  turned  to  them  and  said,  "  My 
sisters,  you  have  talked  long  enough,  it  is  time  for  me 
to  speak,  do  you  give  silence  while  the  word  of  God  is 
preached."  They  instantly  obeyed  the  exhortation,  and 
gave  no  farther  trouble.  In  the  year  1219,  it  is  said  that 
no  less  than  5000  persons  attended  the  general  chapter 
of  this  order.  The  followers  of  Francis  now  increased 
with  great  rapidity,  and  the  preachers  of  the  order  spread 
all  over  Europe.  He  would  allow  of  no  splendor  in 
his  churches,  and  his  followers  must  not  own  even  a 
psalter  or  hymn  book.  In  1220,  five  Franciscan  mis- 
sionaries were  murdered  in  Morocco,  which  event  con- 
tributed very  much  to  raise  the  reputation  of  the  order, 
and  to  increase  its  numbers.  It  is  related  by  his  follow- 
ers, that  Francis,  after  praying  for  greater  conformity 
to  Christ,  had  his  prayer  answered  by  the  appearance  of 

9 


98  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

scars  in  his  hands,  and  feet,  and  side,  representing  the 
five  wounds  of  Christ. 

The  two   orders  of  the  Dominicans  and  the  Francis- 
cans wonderfully  supported  the  tottering  fabric  of  po- 
pery.    This  they  did  by  searching  out  heretics  and  put- 
ting them  to  death,  by  performing  missions  favorable  to 
the  interests  of  the  papal  empire,  and  b}^  confirming  the 
people  in, their  loyalty  to  the  pope.     Sensible  of  their 
importance  and  their  fidelity,  the  popes   employed  them 
in  all  the  important  transactions  of  their  kingdom,  and 
conferred  on  them  the  highest  privileges  and  advantages. 
They  were  commissioned  to  preach,  hear  confessions, 
and  grant  absolution  without  restraint.     They  were  also 
furnished  with  full  power  to  grant  indulgences,  by  which 
the  pope  aimed  to  put  them  in  a  way  to  live  without  beg- 
ging, though  it  was  a  method  altogether  more  degraded 
and  flagitious.     Thus  it  is  said  by  Matthew  Paris  :  "  Our 
lord  the  pope  now  made  the  Franciscans  and  Dominicans, 
contrary  to  their  wishes,  I  suppose,  and  to  the  injury 
and  scandal  of  their  order,  his  publicans  and  bedels. 
Our  lord  the  pope  has  not  ceased  to  amass   treasures, 
making   the  Dominican  and   Franciscan  monks,  even 
ao-ainst  their  inclinations,  not  fishers  of  men  but  oi  mo- 
ney.^''     But  the  favors  of  the  pope  bestowed  so  liberally 
upon  the  Dominicans  and  Franciscans,  while  they  weak- 
ened the  ancient  discipline,  and  infringed  upon  the  rights 
of  the  regular  clergy,  produced  also  deadly  hatred  and 
endless  contention  between  the  mendicant  orders  them- 
selves, by  rendering  them  rivals.     Violent  commotions 
and  struggles  in  every  country  in  Europe,  and  in  the 
city  of  Rome  itself,  were  the  consequence.     And  though 
the  popes  of  this  and  the  following  centuries  used  various 
means  to  compose  and  terminate  these  commotions,  yet 
they  were  never  able  wholly  to  extinguish  them,  because 
the  interests  of  popery  seemed  to  require  that  its  faithful 
servants,  the  mendicant  monks,  should  be  in  honor  and 
safety.     And  the  privileges  conferred  by  the  popes  upon 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  99 

these  orders,  excited  a  general  odium  against  them,  and 
deservedly  too,  for  they  were  intolerably  proud  and  arro- 
gant on  all  occasions.  They  assumed  to  be  divinely  com- 
missioned to  explain  (ipse  dixit)  the  religion  of  Christ. 
They  declared  that  they  only  understood  the  true  way 
of  salvation,  they  extolled  the  efficacy  of  their  indul- 
gences, and  boasted  beyond  measure  of  their  familiar 
intercourse  with  God  and  the  virgin  Mary,  And  being 
dependent  on  the  charity  of  the  people,  or  rather  upon 
what  they  could  wheedle  from  the  people  by  their  pre- 
tences, they  were  extremely  indulgent  to  all  who  came 
to  them  for  spiritual  guidance.  Their  confessions  were 
easy,  their  penances  light,  they  would  say  masses  for 
money,  they  would  open  their  burial  enclosures  to  the 
rich,  for  which  they  were  amply  rewarded.  But  these 
mendicant  orders,  while  they  were  the  chief  support  of 
popery,  gave  the  pope  immense  trouble  by  their  mutual 
contentions.  They  could  not  agree  who  should  have  the 
precedence.  Both  orders  claimed  it,  and  both  were  de- 
termined not  to  yield.  They  therefore  attacked  and 
warred  upon  each  other  by  their  publications,  and  with 
unceasing  invectives  and  criminations.  But  in  the  next 
place  the  Franciscan  order  was  also  split  into  two  fac- 
tions, that  contended  fiercely  with  each  other.  The  mo- 
nastic orders  generally  adopted  the  policy  of  allowing 
the  possession  of  property  by  the  body  collectively,  while 
they  denied  the  liberty  to  individual  members.  But 
Francis  prohibited  his  followers  from  possessing  any 
property,  either  individually  or  collectively.  But,  after 
the  death  of  their  founder,  many  of  his  followers  departed 
from  this  rule.  And  in  this  they  were  encouraged  by 
the  pope,  Gregory  IX.,  who,  in  the  year  1231,  published 
a  more  mild  interpretation  of  this  law.  But  others  of 
the  order  were  greatly  offended  by  the  relaxation  of  their 
ancient  austerity.  These  were  called  the  spiritual  part 
of  the  order.  But  pope  Innocent  IV.  attempted  to  com- 
pose their  differences  by  the  following  crafty  exposition 


100  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

of  their  rule.  He  declared  that  they  might  hold  lands, 
houses,  furniture,  books,  &c.,  and  might  use  them  freely, 
but  that  the  right  of  property,  the  legal  possession  or 
ownership  of  the  whole  should  belong  to  St.  Peter,  and 
to  the  church  of  Rome,  (i.  e.  to  the  pope,)  without  whose 
consent  nothing  could  be  sold,  exchanged,  or  transferred 
in  any  way  to  others.  This  exposition,  however,  did  not 
satisfy  the  spiritual,  who  declared  it  to  be  a  perversion, 
and  some  of  them  retired,  and  others  were  sent  into  ex- 
ile. Thus  the  lax  interpretation  of  the  rule  finally  pre- 
vailed, and  was  solemnly  confirmed  by  pope  Alexander 
IV.,  and  a  new  aspect  given  to  the  whole  order. 

But  another  contest  of  no  less  magnitude  soon  after 
arose  to  disturb  the  peace  of  this  order  of  monks.  From 
the  beginning  of  the  century  there  were  circulated  in 
Italy  and  other  countries,  various  prophecies  of  the  fa- 
mous Joachim,  who  was  generally  considered  as  divinely 
inspired,  equally  with  the  ancient  prophets.  Most  of 
these  prophecies  were  contained  in  a  book  which  was 
called  the  Everlasting  Gospel,  or  the  Book  of  Joachim. 
This  true  or  fictitious  Joachiin,  among  other  things,  fore- 
told in  particular  the  destruction  of  popery,  the  defects 
and  corruptions  of  which  he  severely  censures.  These 
predictions  of  Joachim  were  eagerly  seized  upon  by  the 
spirituals,  as  they  were  called,  among  the  Franciscans  ; 
they  applied  these  prophecies  to  themselves,  and  conse- 
quently they  maintained  that  Joachim  had  taught  the 
true  gospel,  and  that  he  was  the  angel,  which  John  de- 
scribes in  the  Apocalypse,  flying  through  the  midst  of 
heaven,  &c. 

At  the  time  these  contentions  were  at  their  height, 
one  Gerhard,  a  spiritual  Franciscan,  published  an  expo- 
sition of  this  everlasting  gospel,  ascribed  to  Joachim,  and 
entitled  his  work,  "  A71  Introduction  to  the  everlasting 
gospel.''^  This  work  contained  the  following  declara- 
tion, among  other  absurd  and  impious  things :  that  the  true 
gospel  of  God  was  exhibited  to  mankind  by  St.  Francis, 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  101 

and  that  the  gospel  of  Christ  would  be  abrogated  in  the 
year  1260,  to  make  way  for  this  new  gospel,  which 
would  take  its  place.  And  that  the  ministers  by  whom 
this  new  dispensation  was  to  be  introduced,  were  to  be 
itinerant  barefooted  friars.  The  University  of  Paris 
took  strong  ground  against  this  book,  and  after  many 
complaints  and  accusations  against  the  mendicant  monks, 
they  prevailed  to  have  the  book  publicly  burnt.  These 
dissensions  among  the  Franciscans  continued  to  increase, 
until  they  resulted,  towards  the  close  of  the  century,  in 
open  schism.  The  spirituals  of  Italy  formed  themselves 
into  a  distinct  community,  that  they  might  live  according 
to  their  understanding  of  the  rule  of  Francis.  But  the 
lax  party  persecuted  them  with  great  severity.  Many  of 
them  emigrated,  but  the  fury  of  the  opposite  party  pur- 
sued them,  even  in  their  exile.  Down  to  the  time  of 
the  reformation,  these  spirituals  were  engaged  in  the 
hottest  warfare  with  other  parties  of  papists,  and  numbers 
of  them  miserably  perished  in  the  flames  of  the  inqui- 
sition. 

The  doctrine  of  transubstantiation  as  a  doctrine  of 
popery,  belongs  to  a  different  section ;  but  here  in  the 
order  of  historical  events,  in  regard-  to  the  progress  of 
popery,  it  may  be  proper  to  mention,  that  in  this  century, 
the  consecrated  elements  of  the  eucharist  as  being  the 
real  body  and  blood  of  Christ,  received  divine  honors 
and  worship,  even  the  same  that  were  due  to  Christ 
himself.  Splendid  caskets  were  made,  in  which  God, 
in  the  form  of  bread,  might  reside  as  in  his  house. 
These  were  carried  from  place  to  place,  and  lamps  and 
other  decorations  were  added  to  these  divine  habitations. 
The  consecrated  bread  was  also  carried  in  procession 
through  the  streets  to  the  sick.  At  length,  a  festival  to 
the  body  of  Christ  was  instituted,  and  a  day  set  apart 
expressly  for  the  worship  of  the  body  of  Christ,  as 
existing  in  the  consecrated  bread.     One  Juliana,  a  nun, 

who  lived  at  Liege,  in  the  Netherlands,  pretended  that 

9* 


102  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

she  had  been  divinely  instructed  that  it  was  the  pleasure 
of  God,  that  an  annual  feast  should  be  kept  in  honor  of 
the  holy  supper,  or  rather  the  body  of  Christ,  as  present 
in  the  holy  supper.  The  bishop  of  Liege  supported  her 
pretensions,  and  afterward,  two  popes  confirmed  the  ap- 
pointment of  this  festival,  and  thus  idolatry,  in  respect  to 
the  elements  of  the  supper,  was  fully  established  as  a 
part  of  popery. 

Another  event  occurring  in  this  century  serves  to 
illustrate  the  genius  of  popery.  In  the  year  1299,  a 
rumor  began  to  spread,  that  all  who  should  visit  the 
temple  of  St.  Peter  during  the  next  year,  would  obtain 
the  pardon  of  their  sins,  and  as  some  supposed,  for  a 
hundred  years.  The  pope,  finding  this  popular  delusion 
to  take  among  the  people,  and  that  great  numbers  were 
hereby  induced  to  visit  Rome,  to  the  no  small  pecuniary 
advantage  of  the  papal  seat,  confirmed  this  observance, 
and  published  plenary  indulgence  to  all  who  should  visit 
the  temple  of  St.  Peter  at  Rome,  during  the  centennial 
year.  The  throng  of  pilgrims  in  consequence  was  so 
great,  that  the  public  roads  in  Italy  exhibited  an  almost 
continuous  procession,  from  one  end  to  the  other.  Nearly 
every  day,  200,000  foreigners  might  be  counted  at  Rome, 
and  it  has  been  estimated  that  two  millions  of  people 
visited  Rome  in  the  year  1300.  So  happy  a  result,  and 
so  rich  a  harvest,  made  the  pope  wish  that  a  century  was 
not  so  long.  And  succeeding  popes  could  not  wait  for 
a  hundred  years  to  come  about.  A  Jubilee  was  repeated 
in  1350,  and  afterward,  the  festival  was  appointed  to  be 
observed  at  the  close  of  every  25  years. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  fourteenth  century,  popery 
became  so  assuming  and  arrogant  as  to  overact  and 
weaken  its  own  influence.  Boniface  VIII.,  in  a  very 
haughty  letter  addressed  to  Philip,  king  of  France, 
maintained  that  all  the  kings  and  persons  whatever,  and 
the  king  of  France  among  the  rest,  owed  perfect  obe- 
dience to  the  pope,  and  this  not  merely  in  religious  con- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  103 

cerns,  but  in  secular  matters.  The  French  king  replied 
with  severity.  The  pope  repeated  his  assumptions  with 
greater  arrogance,  and  published  the  celebrated  bull 
called  Unan  Sanciam,  in  which  he  asserted  that  Jesus 
Christ  had  established  a  two-fold  power  or  sword  in  his 
church,  a  spiritual  and  a  temporal — that  the  whole 
human  race  was  subject  to  the  pope,  and  that  all  who 
dissented  f'rom  this  doctrine  were  heretics,  and  could  not 
expect  salvation.  The  king  of  France  did  not  relish 
this  doctrine,  but  on  the  contrary,  assembled  his  nobles, 
and  through  his  attorney-general,  William  de  Nogaret^ 
he  publicly  accused  the  pope  of  heresy,  simpny,  disho- 
nesty, and  other  enormities  ;  and  urged  the  calling  of  a 
general  council  to  depose  the  pope.  His  holiness  was 
roused  by  this  rough  handling,  and  launched  his  anathe- 
mas and  excommunication  against  the  king  and  all  his 
adherents.  Again,  Philip  called  an  assembly  of  the 
states  of  his  kingdom,  and  entered  a  formal  complaint 
against  the  pope,  and  appealed  to  the  decision  of  a  gen- 
eral council.  He  moreover  sent  William  de  Nogaret 
into  Italy,  to  bring  the  pope  prisoner  to  Lyons,  where  he 
intended  the  council  should  be  held.  Nogaret  was  a 
man  of  resolution  and  energy,  and  little  fearful  of  papal 
thunders.  He  raised  a  small  force,  and  coming  suddenly 
upon  his  holiness,  he  surprised  him,  and  took  him  pri- 
soner. The  pope  was  wounded  in  the  affray  by  the 
stroke  of  the  iron  gauntlet  of  his  antagonist,  and  died 
shortly  after  from  rage  of  mind.  His  successor  made 
peace  with  the  king  of  France,  by  restoring  him  to  his 
honors  and  privileges.  But  he  was  unwilling  to  ab- 
solve Nogaret,  who  had  so  grievously  offended  against 
the  papal  dignity.  The  French  lawyer,  however,  per- 
severed in  his  attacks  on  popery.  At  length  the  pope 
died,  and  Philip  managed  to  have  the  bishop  of  Bor- 
deaux, a  Frenchman,  elected  in  his  place.  The  new 
pope  was  Clement  V.  He  remained  in  France  as  the 
king  wished,  and  transferred  the  papal  court  to  Avignon, 


104  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

where  it  remained  70  years.  This  the  Italian  papists 
call  the  Bahylonish  captivity.  This  residence  of  the 
pope  in  France  greatly  shook  the  papal  dominion  in 
Italy.  The  popish  authority  was  assailed  by  publica- 
tions, the  territories  of  the  holy  see  were  invaded,  and 
several  cities  revolted.  Rome  itself  became  the  seat  of 
tumults  and  cabals,  and  the  laws  sent  thither  from 
France  were  treated  with  contempt,  both  by  nobles  and 
common  people.  And  the  inquisitors,  though  active  in 
the  discharge  of  their  duties,  were  unable  to  keep  down 
the  various  seditions  that  arose.  The  pope,  in  the  mean 
time,  found  that  his  treasury  was  becoming  empty,  and 
his  revenues  were  in  a  srreat  measure  cut  off.  He  was 
therefore  driven  to  new  methods  of  raising  money.  In- 
dulgences were  sold  more  extensively,  and  a  higher 
price  was  put  upon  all  the  instruments,  letters  or  bulls, 
which  issued  from  the  papal  court.  Clement  V.  w^as 
governed  all  his  life  by  the  pleasure  of  the  French  king. 
This  was  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  popery.  He  ab- 
solved Nogaret  of  his  sin  in  striking  and  w^ounding  pope 
Boniface,  and  abrogated  all  the  laws  enacted  by  that 
pope  according  as  Philip  required.  On  the  death  of 
Clement,  1314,  there  were  violent  contests  among  the 
cardinals,  respecting  the  election  of  a  new  pope.  The 
French  demanding  a  Frenchman,  and  the  Italians,  an 
Italian.  After  two  years'  strife,  the  French  again  gained 
the  victory,  and  the  cardinal  of  Porto  was  elected.  He 
assumed  the  name  of  John  XXII.  The  emperor  Lewis, 
of  Bavaria,  and  Frederick,  of  Austria,  having  a  dispute 
concerning  the  empire  of  Germany,  the  pope  declared 
that  the  decision  of  this  controversy  belonged  to  him. 
But  Lewis  had  conquered  his  rival,  and  assumed  the 
government  without  asking  the  pope's  leave.  John  was 
greatly  offended,  and  divested  the  emperor  of  all  right  to 
the  crown.  Lewis,  in  return,  accused  the  pope  of  heresy, 
and  appealed  to  a  general  council.  The  pope,  highly 
exasperated,  laid  the  emperor  under  a  decree  of  excom- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  105 

munication.  The  emperor  returned  the  compliment  by 
declaring  the  pope  unworthy  of  his  office,  and  placing  a 
Franciscan  monk  in  his  stead,  under  the  name  of  Nico- 
laus  V.  This  pope  crowned  the  emperor  in  despite  of 
the  opposing  pope.  Thus,  was  infallibility  again  arrayed 
against  infallibility.  On  the  death  of  John,  new  contests 
between  the  French  and  Italians  arose,  respecting  the 
choice  of  a  new  pope.  But  the  French  again  obtained 
their  object,  in  the  election  of  James  Fournier,  called  Be- 
nedict XII.  This  pope  seems  to  have  been  a  man  of 
honesty  and  of  peace.  Abating  his  superstition,  which 
was  the  fault  of  the  age,  he  may  be  pronounced  a  good 
man. 

Gregory  XI.  transferred  the  papal  residence  again 
from  Avignon  to  Rome.  After  the  death  of  Gregory 
XL,  the  cardinals  being  met  to  choose  a  successor,  the 
people  of  Rome,  fearing  lest  a  Frenchman  should  be 
elected,  who  would  return  the  papal  seat  to  Avignon, 
with  furious  clamor  and  threats,  demanded  the  election 
of  an  Italian.  The  election  was  thus  decided,  and  one 
was  chosen,  called  Urban  VI.  But  he  proved  so  un- 
courtly  in  his  manners,  and  so  haughty  withal  as  to  dis- 
gust all  his  friends,  especially  the  cardinals.  They  ac- 
cordingly withdrew  to  a  city  of  Naples,  and  elected 
another  pope  called  Clement  VII.,  alleging  that  Urban 
was  elected  only  in  pretence  to  appease  the  people  of 
Rome.  This  was  a  kind  of  pious  fraud  which  was  com- 
mon in  those  days.  But  which  was  the  true  pope,  the 
connecting  link  between  Peter  and  subsequent  popes, 
remains  to  this  day  undetermined.  Nor  can  it  be  as- 
certained from  the  records  and  documents  which  have 
been  published  in  great  abundance  by  both  parties.  Ur- 
ban remained  at  Rome,  while  Clement  removed  to  Avig- 
non. The  cause  of  Clement  was  espoused  by  France, 
Spain,  Scotland,  Sicily,  and  Cyprus.  While  the  other 
papal  kingdoms  of  Europe  acknowledged  Urban  for  the 
true  vicegerent  of  Christ.     This  is  surely  a  stubborn 


106  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

fact  in  the  history  of  popery,  too  stubborn  indeed  for  those 
who  plead  uninterrupted  succession  from  St  Peter,  and  for 
those  who  cry  up  popery  as  a  system  of  unity.  Where  it 
may  be  asked,  was  the  divine  succession  after  the  death 
of  Gregory  XI.  ?  And  where  was  the  unity  of  popery 
after  the  same  period  ?  Was  Urban  VI.  the  true  pope, 
then  what  were  the  successors  of  Clement  VII.  but 
schismatics,  and  vice  versa  ?  Let  papists,  while  they  ac- 
cuse protestantism  of  being  a  system  of  disunion,  and 
while  they  give  credit  to  pdpery  for  the  opposite  quality, 
remember  the  great  schism  of  the  west,  when  for  fifty 
years,  popery  had  two  or  three  heads  at  a  time,  and  when 
opposing  popes  were  hurling  their  curses  at  each  others 
heads.  But  the  detail  of  these  events  of  confusion  and 
distress  would  not  be  profitable.  Suffice  it  to  say,  of  the 
remaining  popes  of  this  century,  that  their  dominion  ex- 
hibited the  spectacle  of  a  house  divided  against  itself, 
and  in  consequence  it  shook  to  its  very  basis. 

In  the  mean  time,  superstition  continued  to  gain 
ground.  The  mendicant  monks  were  every  where  re- 
vered and  caressed.  So  high  was  the  reputation  of 
these  men,  for  sanctity  and  for  influence  with  God,  that 
the  most  distinguished  persons  of  both  sexes,  some  while 
in  health,  and  others  in  near  prospect  of  death,  wished 
to  be  received  into  their  orders  for  the  purpose  of  se- 
curing favor  with  God.  Many  carefully  inserted  in 
their  last  wills,  that  they  would  have  their  corpses  wrap- 
ped in  a  sordid  Dominican  or  Franciscan  garment,  and 
be  buried  among  the  mendicants.  For  the  amazing  su- 
perstition and  ignorance  of  the  age,  led  men  to  believe 
that  those  would  find  Christ  a  gracious  judge  at  the  last 
day,  who  should  appear  before  his  bar  in  company  with 
mendicant  monks. 

The  monks  were  extremely  odious  to  the  bishops  and 
doctors,  and  professors  of  divinity  in  the  universities,  on 
account  of  their  popularity,  and  consequent  arrogance 
and  corruption.     Among  others  who  came  out  against 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  107 

them  in  this  century,  was  John  Wickliffe,  an  English 
doctor,  and  professor  of  theology  at  Oxford,  and  after- 
wards rector  of  Lutterworth.  The  monks,  whom  he 
greatly  oifended  by  his  boldness  and  honesty,  commenc-^ 
ed  a  process  against  him  at  the  court  of  Gregory  XI. 
But  Wickliffe  escaped  through  the  protection  of  the 
duke  of  Lancaster.  Forty  years  after  his  death,  his 
bones  were  dug  up  and  burnt  by  order  of  the  papal 
council. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  fourteenth  century,  a  violent 
contest  arose  between  the  university  of  Paris,  and  the 
Dominican  order,  concerning  the  immaculate  conception 
of  the  virgin  Mary.  A  certain  Dominican,  in  the  name 
of  his  order,  publicly  denied  that  Mary  was  conceived 
without  sin ;  and  maintained,  that  all  who  believed  in 
her  immaculate  conception  sinned  against  religion  and 
the  faith.  The  university  of  Paris  condemned  this 
opinion.  For  the  university,  influenced  especially  by 
the  arguments  of  John  Duns  Scotus,  had,  almost  from 
the  beginning  of  the  century,  publicly  adopted  the  sin- 
less conception  of  the  virgin  Mary.  The  question  was 
referred  to  the  pope,  but  was  not  decided  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  either  party. 

The  fifteenth  century  opened  with  very  general  dissa- 
tisfaction, on  account  of  the  vices  and  corruption  of  the 
popish  clergy.  No  teacher  or  writer  of  any  eminence, 
can  be  named  in  that  age,  who  does  not  lament  the  mi- 
serable influence  of  popery,  and  anticipate  the  ruin  of 
the  visible  church,  if  God  should  not  interpose  for  its 
rescue.  At  the  commencement  of  the  century,  the  papal 
church  presented  two  heads,  and  those  in  fierce  opposi- 
tion to  each  other.  Boniface  IX.  was  pope  at  Rome,  and 
Benedict  XIII.,  at  Avignon.  The  great  schism  of  the 
west  was  still  continued,  and  grew  more  fierce  and  un- 
manageable. At  length,  the  papal  dominion  was  divided 
between  three  popes,  and  these  fiercely  assailed  each 
other  with  reciprocal  excommunications  and  anathemas. 


108  HISTORY    OF    POPERV. 

And  surely,  if  there  is  any  force  in  papal  curses,  these 
three  popes  must  have  been  cursed  many  times  over,  and 
blasted  beyond  recovery.  The  popes  could  not  be  per- 
suaded to  prefer  the  peace  of  the  church  to  their  own 
glory,  and  no  resort  remained,  but  to  call  a  general 
council  of  the  whole  papal  kingdom,  to  take  cognizance 
of  this  great  controversy.  Accordingly  a  council  was 
called  at  Constance,  in  the  year  1414.  The  principal  ob- 
ject of  this  council  ^vas  to  extinguish  discord  among  rival 
popes,  and  this  object  was  at  length  accomplished.  For 
the  council  set  aside  the  whole  triad  of  popes  then  reign- 
ing, declaring  them  all  to  be  illegitimate,  and  elected 
another  man  to  fill  the  vacated  seat.  This  decision  pre- 
sents a  fearful  gap  in  the  regular  succession  from  St. 
Peter.  If  the  decision  of  this  council  be  correct,  then 
the  papal  kingdom,  called  the  holy  mother'church,  was 
for  a  considerable  season  without  a  head.  And  how  long 
she  could  live  without  a  head  is  not  told.  But  if  the  de- 
cision of  the  council  of  Constance  was  not  correct,  po- 
pery is  hung  on  the  opposite  horn  of  the  dilemma.  Holy 
mother  must  have  had  three  heads  at  once,  which  is  little 
if  at  all  better  than  to  have  none,  for  the  question  will 
arise,  which  of  the  three  was  the  divine  head.  And  this 
is  a  question  which  papists  must  answer,  or  yield  their 
claim  to  divine  right  or  regular  succession.  The  dilem- 
ma here  presented  is,  either  three  heads,  or  no  head ! 
Let  papists  choose  for  themselves.  One  or  the  other 
must  be  admitted.  But  though  the  council  of  Constance 
composed  the  discords  of  popery,  they  fixed  a  stigma  of 
everlasting  disgrace  on  themselves,  by  their  treatment  of 
John  Huss,  and  Jerome  of  Prague.  The  history  and 
sufferings  of  these  two  martyrs  of  Christ,  belongs  to 
another  section  of  the  present  work.  But  certain  facts 
connected  with  their  case,  as  illustrative  of  the  genius  of 
popery  in  this  century,  may  properly  be  introduced  in 
this  place.  John  Huss,  being  summoned  to  the  council, 
and  being  protected  by  a  safe-conduct,  or  public  pledge 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  109 

of  the  emperor,  that  he  should  be  suffered  to  return  in 
safety,  went  thither  for  the  purpose  of  demonstrating  his 
innocence,  and  proving  the  falsehood  of  the  charges 
brought  against  him.  But  his  enemies,  who  were  nu- 
merous in  the  council,  so  managed  as  that,  in  violation  of 
the  public  faith  of  the  emperor,  he  Avas  seized  and  cast 
into  prison  ;  and  when  he  would  not  confess  guilt,  he 
was,  by  order  of  the  council,  burnt  alive  on  the  sixth  of 
July,  1415.  Full  of  faith  and  the  love  of  God,  his  death 
was  a  triumph,  both  to  himself  and  the  cause  of  truth. 
But  the  fact  illustrates  a  doctrine  of  popery  which  we 
shall  examine  at  length  in  the  proper  place,  viz.,  that  faith 
is  not  to  be  kept  with  heretics.  At  any  rate,  we  here  be- 
hold a  solemn  council  convened  in  the  name  of  the  whole 
papal  dominion,  by  a  public  act  renouncing  truth,  and 
rendering  itself  liable  to  the  charge  of  perjury  in  the 
face  of  the  world.  This  fact  must  be  admitted  to  be  a 
fair  specimen  of  the  papal  character  in  that  age ;  and 
what  it  has  been  in  other  ages,  facts  will  also  show. 
The  same  fate  was  borne  with  the  same  pious  fortitude 
and  constancy  by  Jerome  of  Prague,  the  friend  of  Huss, 
who  came  to  Constance  to  support  and  aid  his  friend. 
He  at  first,  through  fear  of  death,  yielded  to  the  council, 
and  renounced  his  opinions.  But  being  retained  still  in 
prison,  he  resumed  courage,  and  was  enabled  to  bear 
testimony  to  the  truth  at  the  stake,  on  the  30th  of  May, 
1416. 

After  the  council  of  Constance  had  disposed  of  the 
heretics,  as  they  were  called,  though  really  the  servants 
and  martyrs  of  Jesus,  it  proceeded  to  take  up  the  subject 
of  a  reformation  of  the  church,  in  its  head  and  members, 
according  to  the  language  of  that  day.  All  Europe  saw 
and  felt  the  need  of  such  a  reformation.  Nor  could  the 
council  deny  that  this  was  a  chief  object  for  which  they 
had  been  convened.  But  the  cardinals  and  principal 
men  of  the  papal  court,  for  whose  interest  it  was  that  the 
disorders  of  the  church  should  remain  untouched,  craftily 

10 


no  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

urged  and  brought  the  majority  to  believe  that  a  business 
of  such  magnitude  could  not  be  managed  to  advantage 
without  the  previous  election  of  a  new  pope.     And  when 
the  new  pope  was  elected,  he  evaded  the  design  of  re- 
forming the  church,  and  manifested  by  his  public  acts 
that  he  wished  the  church  to  remain  as  it  was.     The 
council,  therefore,  after  deliberating  three  years  and  six 
months,  and  after  covering  themselves  with  indelible  dis- 
grace by  the  perfidious  murder  of  two  pious  men,  broke 
up  and  left  the  business  of  reform  where  they  found  it, 
only  assigning  the  task  to  a  council  to  be  called  at  the 
end  of  five  years.     Accordingly,  after  some  delay,  the 
pope  summoned  another  council,  which  was  finally  or- 
dered to  meet  at  Basil.     In  the  mean  time  the  existing 
pope  died,  but  his  successor  confirmed  the  convocation  of 
a  council,  and  on  the  23d  of  July,  1431,  it  commenced  its 
sessions.     A  principal  object  of  their  meeting  was  under- 
stood to  be  the  reformation  of  the  church,  in  its  head 
and  in  all  its  members,  (i.  e.  in  the  pope  and  all  orders  of 
the  clergy.)     But  the  members  of  the  council  of  Basil 
soon  began  to  manifest  a  disposition  to  be  in  earnest  in 
the  business  which  they  had  undertaken.     They  made 
preparations  to  take  hold  on  some  of  the  corruptions  of 
popery  without  ceremony.     The  pope  became  alarmed, 
and  twice  attempted  to  dissolve  the  council.     This  the 
members  firmly  resisted,  and  showed,  by  the  decrees  of 
the  council  of  Constance,  that  a  general  council  was  su- 
perior to  the  pope.     At  length  the  pope,  seeing  himself 
so  beset,  and  finding  no  present  remedy,  made  a  show  of 
yielding,  and  professed  to  approve  of  the  proceedings  of 
the  council.     Some  recent  abuses  of  power  on  the  part 
of  the  pope  were  corrected  by  this  council,  and  they  were 
about  to  proceed  to  more  serious  reform,  when  the  pope 
concluded  that  this  most  audacious  and  troublesome  coun- 
cil must  be  removed  to  Italy,  where  he  could  overawe 
the  members,  or  be  opposed  and  nullified  by  a  rival  coun- 
cil.    Something,  he  saw,  must  be  done  to  check  the  rising 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  HI 

spirit  of  reform,  or  his  throne  would  soon  tremble.  The 
pope,  therefore,  by  his  legates,  first  ordered  that  the  coun- 
cil should  be  removed  to  Italy.  And  when  the  members 
would  not  comply  with  this  order,  a  violent  conflict  en- 
sued. The  council  summoned  the  pope  to  appear  before 
them  at  Basil,  and  give  an  account  of  his  conduct.  The 
pope,  on  the  contrary,  dissolved  the  council,  and  appointed 
another  at  Ferrara.  But  the  members  were  firm,  and 
continued  their  sessions,  and  pronounced  the  pope  contu- 
macious for  his  disobedience.  The  pope  was  equally 
obstinate,  for  he  in  person  opened  the  council  which  he 
had  called  at  Ferrara,  and  at  once  excommunicated  the 
members  of  the  council  of  Basil.  The  members  of  the 
opposing  council  returned  the  compliment  by  depriving 
the  pope  of  his  authority,  and  electing  a  new  pope.  The 
former  pope  issued  a  bull,  anathematising  the  council  of 
Basil,  and  rescinding  all  their  acts.  Here  we  have  pope 
against  pope,  and  council  against  council.  Let  papists 
look  at  these  facts,  and  say  no  more  about  the  unity  of 
their  community.  Let  them  also  look  at  these  facts,  and 
tell  us  where  the  infallibility  of  their  church  resides.  Is 
it  in  the  pope  ?  Then  it  has  been  nullified  by  the  acts  of 
opposing  popes.  Is  it  in  general  councils  ?  Then  it 
has  been  nullified  by  the  acts  of  opposing  councils.  For 
it  is  absurd  to  suppose  that  infallibility,  on  the  same  sub- 
ject, at  the  same  time,  can  operate  in  two  opposite  direc- 
tions, and  contradict  itself.  Take,  then,  pope  Eugene 
IV.,  and  pope  Felix  V.,  who  thundered  away  at  each 
other,  and  rolled  heavy  curses  on  each  other's  heads,  and 
tell  us  which  was  infallible  ?  Was  Eugene  ?  Then  Fe- 
lix could  not  be.  But  he  was  a  pope,  and  must  not  a 
pope  be  infallible  ?  If  not,  who  knows  that  any  pope  is 
so,  and  what  becomes  of  this  mighty  claim  ?  Or  take 
the  councils  of  Basil  and  Ferrara,  (or  Florence,  as  it  was 
afterwards  called,  on  account  of  being  removed  to  the 
latter  city.)  These  general  councils  counteracted  each 
other.     Which  was  infallible?     Was  it  the  council  of 


112  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

Basil  ?  Then  the  other  must  have  been  fallible.  But  it 
was  a  general  council ;  and  if  one  general  council  could 
err,  who  knows  but  others  may  ?  In  a  word,  these  his- 
torical facts  demolish  absolutely  and  forever  the  pretence 
to  infallibility,  either  in  popes  or  councils. 

The  above  mentioned  events  awakened  again  the  spirit 
of  schism,  which  had  been  apparently  allayed  with  so 
much  toil  at  Constance.  In  the  year  1458,  the  bishop  of 
Siena  ascended  the  papal  throne,  under  the  popish  title  of 
Pius  II.  When  a  bishop,  by  the  name  of  ^neas  Syl- 
vius, he  had  strenuously  maintained  the  rights  of  coun- 
cils against  the  pope,  and  boldly  defended  the  council 
of  Basil  against  Eugene  IV.  But  when  made  pope,  he 
apostatized  from  himself,  and  denied  all  that  he  had  pre- 
viously written  in  behalf  of  councils.  He  severely  pro- 
hibited all  appeals  to  councils,  and  decreed  that  pope  Pius 
II.  was  to  be  heard  and  obeyed,  while  jEneas  Sylvius 
was  to  be  condemned. 

A  Spaniard,  whose  name  was  Roderick  Borgia,  as- 
cended the  throne  of  popery,  under  the  title  of  Alexander 
VI.  His  predecessors,  some  of  them,  had  been  men  of 
moderation,  and  considerable  worth.  Especially  was 
this  true  of  Nicolas  V.,  who  was  a  man  of  learning,  and 
a  patron  of  learned  men,  under  whom  the  schism  of  the 
church  was  healed.  But  Alexander  VI.  was  called  the 
Nero  among  the  popes.  For  though  they  were  all,  with 
very  few  exceptions,  flagitious  men,  yet  this  pope  was 
able,  by  his  extraordinary  villanies  and  debaucheries,  to 
gain  a  pre-eminence  even  among  such  men.  He  was  a 
monster  of  iniquity  in  every  sense.  He  died  by  poison 
which  he  had  prepared  for  others.  Such  was  popery  in 
this  century.  And  yet  papists,  to  be  consistent  with 
their  principles,  must  ascribe  holiness  and  infallibility  to 
every  wicked  wretch,  who  by  any  means  can  gain  the 
chair  of  popedom. 

The  monastic  orders  followed  the  prevailing  steps  of 
the  popes.     They  were  mostly  herds  of  ignorant,  lazy. 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  113 

dishonest,  and  debauched  people.     The  monks  that  held 
property  in  their  own  name,  such  as  the  Benedictines  and 
the  Augustinians,  were  given  to  sensual  gratifications. 
By  the  licentiousness  of  their  lives,  and  disregard  of  their 
rules,  they  became  extremely  odious.     The  pauper  or 
mendicant  monks,  (i.  e.  the  Dominicans  and  Francis- 
cans,) offended  as  much  by  their  arrogance,  their  quarrel- 
some temper,  their  invasion  of  the  rights  of  others,  their 
propagation  of  superstition,  and  their  vain  and  futile  dis- 
putes, as  the  opulent  monks  did  by  their  luxury,  their 
laziness,  and  their  hatred  of  learning.     Thus  the  religion 
of  the  papal  dominion  contained  nothing  which  could 
recommend  it  to  the  esteem  of  a  pious  mind.     The  woi>' 
ship  of  God  consisted  in  empty  ceremonies,  which  were 
puerile  and  silly.     The  sermons  were  filled  with  fiction. 
If  a  man  reverenced  the  clergy  as  they  were,  and  espe- 
cially ihe  pope  ;  if  he  secured  the  favor  of  saints  by  fre- 
quent offerings  to  them,  or  what  was  the  same  thing,  to 
their  temples  and  priests  ;  and  if  he  had  money  enough  to 
purchase  the  pardon  of  his  sins  from  the  papal  venders,  he 
was  accounted  a  well  informed,  pious  Christian.     If  he 
went  beyond  this,  and  inflicted  some  external  severities 
upon  his  body,  he  was  then  eminent  for  piety,  and  sure  of 
adoration.     Very  few  had  any  just  views  of  true  reli- 
gion, or  the  conformity  of  the  heart  to  the  laws  of  Christ ; 
and  these  few,  if  they  were  known,  with  difficulty  escaped 
with  their  lives.     Under  this  miserable  state  of  things 
did  the  Christian  world  groan.     It  was  the  galling  yoke 
of  Satan,  through  the  instrumentality  of  popery.     For 
popery,  let  it  be  remembered,  had  performed  its  perfect 
work  for   near  eight  centuries.     Though  occasionally 
disquieted  with  schisms  and  witnesses  for  the  truth,  yet 
genuine  popery  had  maintained  the  ascendancy,  and  had 
subjugated  the  human  mind,  as  well   as  the  physical 
powers,  to  its  control.     To  popery,  then,  belongs  all  the 
credit  of  that  miserable,  dark,  degraded,  and  polluted 
state  of  Christendom,  at  the  close  of  the  fifteenth  century. 

10* 


114  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

The  sixteenth  century  opened  with  very  fair  prospects 
for  the  papal  dominion.  The  grievous  commotions  of 
the  preceding  centuries,  occasioned  by  the  efforts  of  the 
Waldenses,  the  Albigenses,  the  Beghards  and  others 
had  been  suppressed  by  cruel  persecution  or  crafty  ma- 
nagement. The  Waldenses  had  been  driven  to  the  val- 
leys  of  Piedmont,  and  stripped  of  power  and  resources. 
And  those  Bohemians,  who  were  dissatisfied  with  papal 
doctrines,  from  their  ignorance  and  poverty,  were  in 
no  condition  to  make  attempts  against  the  gigantic 
power  of  the  pope.  All  was  comparatively  quiet  in  the 
streets  of  the  great  city.  But  this  state  of  things,  by  pro- 
moting the  corruption  of  the  papists,  only  served  to  pre- 
pare the  way  for  a  general  explosion.  The  popes  and 
the  clergy  gave  loose  reins  to  their  evil  propensities, 
and  sought  the  gratification  of  their  lusts  without  re- 
straint. And  the  subordinate  rulers  and  teachers  of  the 
church,  eagerly  followed  the  example  of  those  at  their 
head.  Most  of  the  bishops,  and  the  canons  their  asso- 
ciates, led  luxurious  and  jovial  lives,  in  the  daily  commis- 
sion of  open  sins,  and  squandered  upon  their  lusts  those 
funds  which  preceding  generations  had  consecrated  to 
God,  and  the  relief  of  the  poor.  The  greater  part  of  the 
priests,  on  account  of  their  indolence,  their  unchastity, 
their  avarice,  their  ignorance  and  their  levity,  were  re- 
garded with  utter  contempt,  not  only  by  the  wise  and 
and  good,  but  by  the  common  people.  The  immense 
swarms  of  monks  produced  great  grievance  and  com- 
plaint. Some  of  their  orders  had  become  weakhy  by  the 
liberality  of  preceding  generations,  and  now  they  abused 
their  wealth  to  the  worst  of  purposes,  regardless  alike  of 
the  design  for  which  the  funds  were  given,  and  of  their 
own  rules  and  professions.  The  different,  orders  of 
monks  practiced  the  grossest  impositions  not  only  on  the 
community  at  large,  but  upon  each  other.  Among  many 
of  the  base  artifices  by  which  they  compassed  their  pur- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  115 

poses,  the  tragedy  of  Berne,  as  it  is  called,  stands  conspi- 
cuous, and  may  serve  as  an  example. 

The  Dominicans  and  Franciscans  were  engaged  in  a 
vehement  controversy  concerning  the  immaculate  con- 
ception of  the  virgin  Mary.  The  former  denying,  and 
the  latter  affirming  the  proposition  respecting  this  sub- 
ject. A  Dominican  monk,  named  Wigand  Wirt,  preach- 
ing at  Frankfort,  A.  D.  1507,  so  violently  assailed  the 
above  mentioned  doctrine,  that  he  was  summoned  to 
Rome  to  answer  for  his  conduct.  His  brethren  of  the 
Dominicans,  at  their  convention  at  Wempfen,  formed  a 
plan  to  aid  him,  and  to  convince  the  world  that  the  doc- 
trine of  the  immaculate  conception  was  false.  Berne  was 
selected  as  the  scene  of  their  operations.  The  prior,  sub- 
prior,  preacher  and  steward  of  the  Dominican  cloister  at 
Berne,  undertook  to  get  up  miracles  and  revelations  for 
the  occasion.  A  simple  hearted  rustic,  by  the  name  of 
John  Jetzer,  who  had  just  entered  upon  his  noviciate  in 
the  monastery,  was  selected  as  their  tool.  The  sub-prior 
appeared  to  him  one  night  dressed  in  white,  and  pre- 
tended to  be  the  ghost  of  a  friar,  who  had  been  a  hundred 
and  sixty  years  in  purgatory.  He  wailed  greatly,  and 
implored  Jetzer  to  afford  him  some  aid.  Jetzer  promised 
the  aid  to  the  extent  of  his  ability,  and  the  next  morning 
reported  the  vision  to  his  superiors.  They  encouraged 
him  to  go  on,  and  to  confer  freely  with  the  ghost,  should 
he  appear  again.  A  few  nights  after,  the  ghost  made  his 
appearance,  attended  by  two  devils,  his  tormentors,  and 
thanked  Jetzer  for  the  relaxation  of  his  sufferings  in  con- 
sequence of  his  prayers  and  fastings.  He  also  instructed 
Jetzer  concerning  the  views  entertained  in  the  other 
world  respecting  the  immaculate  conception,  and  the  de- 
tention of  some  popes  and  others  in  purgatory,  for  having 
persecuted  the  deniers  of  that  doctrine  ;  and  further,  he 
promised  Jetzer  that  St.  Barbara  would  shortly  appear 
to  him  to  give  him  particular  instructions.  Accordingly 
the  sub-prior  assumed  a  female  garb  on  a  succeeding 


116  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

night,  and  appeared  to  Jetzer  as  St.  Barbara.  She  re- 
vealed to  him  some  parts  of  his  secret  history,  which  the 
preacher,  his  confessor,  had  drawn  from  him  at  his  con- 
fessions. Jetzer  was  completely  duped.  St.  Barbara 
promised  that  the  virgin  Mary  herself  would  next  appear 
to  him.  Consequently  she,  or  the  sub-prior  personating 
her,  did  so,  and  assured  him  that  she  was  not  conceived 
free  from  original  sin,  though  she  was  delivered  from  it 
three  hours  after  her  birth,  and  that  it  was  a  grievous 
thing  to  her  to  see  such  errors  spread  abroad.  She 
blamed  the  Franciscans  much  as  the  chief  cause  of  this 
false  belief.  She  also  announced  the  destruction  of  the 
city  of  Berne,  because  the  people  did  not  expel  the  Fran- 
ciscans, and  cease  to  receive  a  pension  from  the  king  of 
France.  She  appeared  repeatedly  and  gave  Jetzer  much 
instruction.  She  promised  to  impress  upon  him  the  five 
wounds  of  Christ,  which  she  declared  were  never  im- 
pressed upon  St.  Francis  or  any  other  person.  She 
accordingly  seized  his  right  hand,  and  actually  thrust  a 
nail  through  it.  This  was  no  vision,  and  the  pain  of  the 
nail  made  Jetzer  so  restive,  that  she  promised  to  impress 
the  other  wounds  without  giving  him  pain.  The  con- 
spirators now  gave  him  medicated  drugs,  which  stupified 
him,  and  then  impressed  the  other  wounds  upon  him 
while  in  a  senseless  state.  Hitherto  the  sub-prior  had 
been  the  principal  actor.  But  now  the  preacher  under- 
took to  personate  St.  Mary.  Jetzer,  however,  recognized 
his  voice,  and  began  to  suspect  the  whole  to  be  an  impo- 
sition. All  attempts  to  hoodwink  him  after  this  became 
fruitless,  and  he  was  in  a  short  time  completely  unde- 
ceived. They  now  endeavored  to  bring  him  voluntarily 
to  join  the  plot.  He  was  persuaded  to  do  so.  But  they 
imposed  upon  him  such  intolerable  austerities,  and  were 
detected  by  him  in  such  impious  and  immoral  conduct,  that 
he  wished  to  leave  the  monastery.  They  would  not  let 
him  go,  and  were  so  fearful  of  his  betraying  their  secret, 
which  was  now  drawing  crowds  to  their  monastery,  and 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  117 

promising  them  great  advantage,  that  they  determined  to 
destroy  him  by  poison.  Jetzer,  by  listening  at  their  door, 
obtained  knowledge  of  the  fact,  and  was  so  on  his  guard 
that  they  could  not  succeed,  though  they  used  a  conse- 
crated host,  or  the  bread  in  the  sacramental  supper  as  the 
medium  of  conveying  the  poison.  At  length  Jetzer  elo- 
ped from  the  cloister  and  revealed  the  whole  transaction. 

The  sale  of  indulgences  became,  in  the  beginning  of 
this  century,  very  extensive,  and  was  a  principal  means 
of  opening  the  eyes  of  the  people  to  see  the  necessity  of 
a  reformation.  And  as  this  is  a  practice  in  which  the 
papal  church  still  persists,  it  will  be  proper  to  give  a 
particular  account  of  its  origin  and  results. 

The  origin  of  indulgences,  says  Schlegel,  must  be 
sought  in  the  earliest  history  of  the  church.  In  the  first 
centuries,  such  professors  as  were  excluded  from  com- 
munion on  account  of  their  relapses  in  time  of  persecu- 
tion, or  on  account  of  other  heinous  sins,  had  to  seek  a 
restoration  to  fellowship  by  a  public  penance,  in  which 
they  entreated  the  brethren  to  forgive  their  offence,  stand- 
ing before  the  door  of  the  church  in  a  garb  of  mourning. 
This  ecclesiastical  punishment  was  sometimes  remitted, 
and  this  remission  was  called  indulgence.  So  that  the 
original  meaning  of  the  term  was  merely  the  remission  of 
the  ecclesiastical  penance  or  punishment  imposed  on  the 
relapsed  or  other  gross  offenders.  Had  the  practice  ex- 
tended no  farther,  or  had  it  been  laid  aside  when  the 
occasion  for  it  ceased,  it  would  have  produced  com- 
paratively little  evil.  But  the  practice  was  continued 
and  extended.  In  process  of  time  the  doctrine  was,  that 
Christ  had  atoned  for  the  eternal,  but  not  the  temporal 
punishment  of  sin.  And  the  temporal  punishment  was 
divided  into  punishment  in  the  present  world,  and  that  of 
purgatory  in  the  future  world.  It  was  held  that  every 
man  who  would  attain  to  salvation,  must  suffer  the  tem- 
poral punishment  of  sin,  either  in  the  present  world,  or 
in  the  flames  of  purgatory,  and  that  the  confessor  to 


118  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

whom  a  man  disclosed  his  sins,  had  power  to  adjudge 
this  temporal  punishment  according  to  his  own  pleasure. 
The  punishment  thus  inflicted  generally  consisted  in 
fasting,  pilgrimages,  flagellations,  &c.  But  among  those 
who  were  subjected  to  such  penalties  were  often  persons 
of  wealth  and  consequence,  who  had  rather  pay  a 
large  sum  of  money  than  submit  to  the  penalty.  In  the 
case  of  such,  substitutes  were  admitted,  and  these  were 
generally  monks,  who  for  a  sum  of  money  would  endure 
the  penalty  in  behalf  of  the  rich.  Whoever,  for  exam- 
ple, was  condemned  to  whip  himself  for  a  number  of 
weeks,  might,  by  the  payment  of  a  certain  sum  of  money, 
obtain  release  from  this  penance,  or  the  same  purpose 
would  be  answered  by  the  conveyance  of  a  piece  of  land. 
At  first  they  released  only  from  the  punishment  of  sin 
in  the  present  world  ;  but  in  the  fourteenth  century,  the 
release  was  extended  to  purgatory,  and  subsequently,  as 
will  appear  in  the  sequel,  the  release  was  extended  to  all 
manner  of  crimes.  Jesus,  they  said,  had  not  removed 
all  the  punishments  of  sin.  Those  which  he  had  not 
removed  were  either  the  punishment  of  the  present  world, 
that  is,  the  penances  which  the  confessors  enjoin,  or  the 
punishments  of  the  future  world,  that  is,  of  purgatory. 
An  indulgence,  according  to  the  original  and  professed 
object  of  it,  frees  from  both  these  kinds  of  punishment. 
The  first  the  pope  remits  by  virtue  of  his  oflice  as  sove- 
reign lord  of  the  church.  The  other  he  remits  by  virtue 
of  his  prevalent  intercessions  with  God,  who  can  deny 
nothing  to  his  vicegerent.  Yet  this  release  from  the 
punishment  of  sin  cannot,  according  to  popery,  be  be- 
stowed for  nothing.  There  must  be  an  equivalent,  that 
is,  a  sum  of  money  given  to  the  pope  for  pious  uses. 
Temporal  princes  usually  wait  till  their  subjects  petition 
for  indulgence.  But  the  vicegerent  of  Christ  is  more 
gracious,  according  to  his  own  story,  than  all  other 
princes,  and  oflers  his  indulgences  freely,  that  is  to  say, 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  119 

freely  for  money  enough,  to  the  whole  church,  and  to  be 
proclaimed  aloud  to  the  whole  Christian  world. 

The  sale  of  indulgences  drew  immense  sums  of  money 
to  the  papal  coffers,  and  liberally  supplied  all  the  ser- 
vants of  the  pope.  He  did  not,  indeed,  sell  these  indul- 
gences himself.  To  this  his  dignity  would  hardly  con- 
descend ;  and  besides,  he  could  not  always  wait  for  the 
slow  process  of  selling  at  retail.  He  therefore  com- 
monly farmed  out  different  provinces  to  those  speculators 
who  would  give  the  highest  price  for  them.  There  were 
rich  merchants  at  Genoa,  Milan,  Venice,  and  Augsburgh, 
who  would  purchase  the  right  of  selling  indulgences  in 
certain  provinces  or  kingdoms,  for  a  stipulated  number  of 
years,  and  who  would  pay  to  his  holiness  a  round  sum 
as  the  present  worth.  The  speculators  would  employ 
skilful  agents,  hawkers,  and  pedlars  of  these  indulgences, 
persons  whose  boldness  and  impudence  bore  due  propor- 
tion to  the  eloquence  with  which  they  imposed  upon  the 
people.  And  to  give  these  indulgences  greater  credit 
and  currency,  it  was  pretended  that  popery  had  come 
into  possession  of  a  common  stock  or  great  bank  of 
merit,  derived  from  the  extra  piety  of  confessors,  saints 
and  martyrs,  who  had  performed  works  of  supereroga- 
tion, that  is,  more  than  the  law  or  gospel  demands.  This 
stock  of  merit,  it  was  pretended,  had  been  accumulating 
for  many  years,  till  there  was  a  superabundance,  which 
was  at  the  sole  and  entire  disposal  of  his  holiness,  the 
pope  ;  and  which  he  \vas  authorized  to  dispense  to  them 
who  paid  him  most  liberally.  In  this  way,  not  only 
ecclesiastical  censures,  not  only  temporal  and  purgatorial 
penance  were  remitted,  but  the  pope  and  his  servants 
finally  assumed  the  power  to  forgive  sins  of  every 
description.  However  papists,  when  pressed,  may  deny 
the  truth  of  the  preceding  remark,  it  is  abundantly 
capable  of  proof,  that  the  pope  did  assume  and  pretend  to 
forgive  sins  of  every  kind.  That  he  is  generally  un- 
derstood by  papists  to  take  this  ground,  there  can  be  no 


120  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

manner  of  doubt.  When  they  obtain  that  pardon,  or 
absolution,  which  the  pope  sells  for  money,  they  are 
satisfied  ;  they  desire  no  other,  the  pope  and  his  servants 
enjoin  no  other.  Hence  it  is  evidently  understood  by 
the  great  body  of  papists,  that  the  indulgence  or  absolu- 
tion which  they  obtain  from  the  pope  and  his  servants 
for  money,  is  all  that  they  need.  This  is  strong  pre- 
sumptive evidence,  that  the  pope  does  pretend  to  pardon 
all  sin.  But  we  have  direct  and  conclusive  proof  of  the 
remark  in  question,  from  some  of  the  events  which  im- 
mediately preceded  the  reformation.  The  luxury  and  li- 
centiousness of  the  court  of  the  pope  had  exhausted  all 
his  treasures,  and  rendered  necessary  special  efforts  to 
recruit  the  exhausted  coffers,  and  support  the  holy  father, 
with  his  corrupt  instruments.  No  expedient  promised 
to  be  more  effectual  than  the  sale  of  indulgences.  Con- 
sequently, one  John  Tetzel,  a  Dominican  monk,  devoid 
of  shame,  on  account  of  his  peculiar  impudence,  was 
hired  by  Albert,  archbishop  of  Metz  and  Magdeburgh, 
to  engage  in  this  business.  This  shameless  declaimer 
conducted  the  business,  not  only  in  violation  of  all 
modesty  and  decency,  but  in  a  manner  which  detracted 
from  the  merits  of  Christ.  The  pope  offered,  as  a  pre- 
text for  this  new  spiritual  tax,  the  completion  of  the 
church  of  St.  Peter,  which  had  been  begun  by  Julius  II., 
and  he  appointed  for  his  first  commissary,  Albert,  arch- 
bishop of  Metz  and  Magdeburgh,  and  margrave  of 
Brandenburgh,  who,  from  his  own  extravagance,  was  in 
great  need  of  funds.  Tetzel  was  employed  as  indul- 
gence agent,  in  Saxony.  He  was  a  man  of  great  profli- 
gacy, and  cried  up  his  merchandize  in  a  very  disgusting 
manner.  He  claimed  openly  to  have  power  from  the 
pope  to  absolve,  not  only  from  the  censures  of  the  church, 
but  likewise  from  all  sins,  transgressions  and  enormi- 
ties, however  great  they  might  be,  even  from  those  of 
which  the  pope  only  can  take  cognizance.  He  released 
from  all  the  pains  of  purgatory,  gave  permission  to 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  121 

come  to  the  sacraments  ;  and  more  than  this,  he  promised 
to  those  that  purchased  his  indulgences,  that  the  gates 
of  hell  should  be  closed  to  them,  and  the  gates  of  para- 
dise or  bliss  be  fully  open.     What  more  than  this  can 
be  done,  even  by  Deity?     It  is  evident,  then,  that  the 
pope  has  expressly  claimed  the  prerogative  to  pardon 
sin,  in  the  place  of  God,  and  that  he  is  now  understood 
as  having  this  power  by  the  great  body  of  his  followers. 
These  claims,  and  this   manner  of  asserting  them, 
roused  the  spirit  of  Luther,  and  led  to  the  glorious  re- 
formation of  the  sixteenth  century.     The  apparent  still- 
ness with  which  the  century  commenced,  was  but  the 
precursor  of  a  tremendous  earthquake,  by  which  a  third 
part  of  the  city  fell ;  and  by  which  we  may  hope,  the 
way  has  been  prepared  for  the  fail  of  the  whole  system 
of  papal  corruption.     And  that  the  papists  claimed  for 
the  pope  the  power  to  pardon  sins  of  every  kind,  though 
frequently  denied  by  them,  was  clearly  demonstrated  in 
the  controversy  with  Luther  and  Tetzel.     Luther  admit- 
ted, then,  that  the  pope  had  power  to  remit  the  human 
and  temporal  punishment  for  sin,  or  the  punishment  im- 
posed by  the  church ;  but  denied  his  right  to  absolve 
from  the  divine  punishments,  either  of  the  present  or 
future  worlds.     This  latter  punishment,  he  maintained, 
could  be  cancelled  only  by  the  righteousness  of  Christ. 
Tetzel,  on  the  contrary,  asserted  that  the  pope  could 
release  even  from  divine  punishment,  and  from  those  oi 
the  future  as  well  as  of  the  present  life.     To  this  doc- 
trine Luther  made  strenuous  opposition,  which  resulted, 
as  is  well  known,  in  shaking  the  throne  of  the  pope  to 
its  foundation.     The  chancery  regulations  of  the  pope 
have  been  published  by  various  authors,  and  from  them  it 
appears,  that  a  Dean  may  be  absolved  from  murder  for 
twenty  crowns.     A  bishop  or  abbot  may,  for  three  hun- 
dred livres,  commit  murder  whenever  he  pleases.     And 
for  a  third  of  that  sum,  any  clergyman  may  violate  the 

11 


122  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

law  of  chastity,  under  the  most  aggravated  circumstances. 
These  chancery  regulations  of  popery  were  formerly 
published  in  a  book,  and  circulated  among  the  subjects 
of  the  pope.  Claude  Espence,  a  French  popish  divine, 
indignantly  wrote  concerning  this  book,  as  follows  : 
"  There  is  a  book  extant,  which,  like  a  venal  prostitute, 
appears  openly  before  the  public  here  at  Paris,  and  is 
now  for  sale,  as  it  has  long  been,  entitled,  Taxes  of  the 
apostolic  chancery,  from  which  more  crimes  can  be 
learned,  than  from  all  the  writings  concerning  the  vices, 
and  in  which  license  is  offered  to  very  many,  and  abso- 
lution promised  to  all  purchasers.  Provided  money 
can  be  extorted,"  continues  the  same  author,  "  every  thing 
prohibited  is  permitted.  There  is  almost  nothing  for- 
bidden, that  is  not  dispensed  with  for  money,  so  that,  as 
Horace  said  of  his  age,  the  greatest  crime  a  man  can  be 
guilty  of  is  to  be  poor.  Shameful  to  relate,  they  give 
permission  to  priests  to  have  concubines,  upon  paying  an 
annual  tribute.  And  in  some  places  they  oblige  every 
priest  to  pay  this  tax,  saying,  he  may  keep  a  concubine 
or  not,  as  he  pleases."  Ftom  the  book  of  apostolic 
chancery  published  at  Rome,  and  by  papal  authority,  the 
following  examples  of  the  popish  tariff  of  crime  are  ex- 
tracted :  "  A  layman  murdering  a  layman,  must  pay  a 
sum  equal  to  about  $1,25.  For  him  to  kill  his  father  or 
mother,  wife  or  sister,  he  must  pay  1,75.  For  laying 
violent  hands  on  a  clergyman,  so  as  that  no  blood  be 
shed,  he  must  pay  $1,75."  Thus  it  seems  that  to  strike 
a  priest,  though  the  blow  did  not  draw  blood,  was,  in 
popish  estimation,  as  great  a  crime  as  killing  a  parent, 
or  a  husband,  or  wife.  For  a  priest  to  marry  was  a 
crime  for  which  no  money  could  atone ,  for  this  is  not 
placed  in  the  list  of  pardonable  offences.  But  for  a  priest 
to  keep  a  concubine,  the  penalty  was  $1,75.  For  license 
to  eat  flesh  in  lent,  $1,75.  With  these  facts  in  view,  who 
can  doubt  that  the  pope  claimed  and  exercised  the  right  to 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  123 

pardon  sins,  even   those   of  the   most   aggravated  na- 
ture ?* 

These  things  prepared  the  way  for  the  reformation. 
But  as  a  history  of  popery  is  the  present  object,  that 
blessed  event  will  be  passed  in  silence  ;  and  the  attention 
of  the  reader  be  directed  to  the  feelings  of  papists  in  view 
of  this  event,  and  their  consequent  measures. 

When  the  papists  perceived  that  Luther  was  in  earnest 
in  his  appeals  to  the  Scriptures,  and  his^exposure  of  their 
corruptions,  their  rage  was  greatly  kindled.  The  pope, 
in  compliance  with  the  pressing  solicitations  of  his  ad- 
visers, issued  a  bull  against  Luther  on  the  15th  of  June, 
1520,  in  which  his  tenets  were  condemned,  his  writings 
were  adjudged  to  the  flames,  and  he  was  commanded  to 
confess  his  faults  within  sixty  days,  and  implore  the 
clemency  of  the  pope,  or  be  cast  out  of  the  church. 
Luther  thought  it  expedient  to  withdraw  himself  from 
the  papal  communion  before  he  was  cast  out,  and  for  this 
purpose,  he,  on  the  10th  of  December,  1520,  caused  a 
fire  to  be  kindled  without  the  walls  of  the  city,  and  in 
the  presence  of  a  vast  multitude  of  spectators,  committed 
to  the  flames  the  bull  issued  against  him,  together  with  a 
copy  of  the  pontifical  canon  law.  By  this  act  he  signi- 
fied publicly  that  he  would  no  longer  be  a  subject  of  the 
pope,  and  consequently,  that  the  decree  of  excommuni- 
cation which  was  daily  expected  from  Rome  would  be 
useless.  In  less  than  a  month,  even  on  the  4th  day  of 
January,  1521,  the  second  bull  of  the  pope  appeared,  by 
which  Luther  was  expelled  from  the  papal  church.  In 
this  event  the  genius  of  popery  appears  without  dis- 
guise ;  evidently  it  is  a  system  that  agrees  with  darkness 
rather  than  light,  because  it  cast  out  of  its  bosom  one  of 
its  own  sons,  for  nothing  but  a  resolute  and  persevering 
appeal  to  the  Scriptures  as  the  standard  of  religious  truth. 

*  Pope  Leo  X.,  on  the  9th  of  November,  1518,  published  a  special 
edict,  in  which  he  required  all  his  subjects  to  believe  that  he  had 
power  to  fbrgive  sins,  without  any  qualification.  See  Mosheim, 
Vol  III.  p.  26.  '    ^ 


134  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

We  have  now  arrived  at  the  period  of  the  final  separa- 
tion of  Luther  and  his  followers  from  the  papal  church. 
The  history  of  popery  is  therefore  now  to  be  pursued  in 
distinction  from  that  of  the  reformed  communities.     In 
these  circumstances,  popery,  though  it  must  of  necessity 
be  more  circumspect  and  cautious  in  its  external  arrange- 
ments, and  though  it  may  appear  somewhat   circum- 
scribed in  power  and  territory,  will  yet  be  found  to  be  no 
less  anti-christian  in  its  spirit  and  aims.    And  as  the  sys- 
tem of  popery  had  at  this  period  reached  its  full  maturity, 
it  may  not  be  amiss,  in  this  place,  to  state  some  of  its  prin- 
ciples of  organization. 

In  the  first  place,  in  regard  to  the  election  of  the  pope, 
it  was   ordained  that  he  should  be  chosen  by  a  select 
number  of  the  popish  clergy.     Six  bishops  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Rome,  fifty  rectors  or  presbyters  of  Rome, 
and  fourteen  deacons  of  Romish  hospitals,  all  of  whom, 
on  account  of  their  eminence,  were  called  cardinals,  (or 
chiefs)  were  the  electors.     When  they  assembled  for  the 
choice  of  a  new  pope,  they  were  shut  up  in  a  kind  6f 
prison,  called  the  conclave,  that  they  might  proceed  more 
secretly  and  expeditiously  in  the  execution  of  their  trust»^ 
None,    but  a  member  of  this  conclave,    and   a   native 
Italian,   could  be  a   candidate   for  the  popedom.     Nor 
could  all" the  Italian  cardinals  claim  eligibility  to  this 
exalted  station.     Various  circumstances  of  birth,  and 
manner  of  life,  would  exclude  those  who  might  other- 
wise have  stood  high  on  the  list  of  candidates.   Mor- 
over,   the   German  Roman  emperors,  and  the  kings  of 
France  and  Spain  possessed,  either  legally  or  by  custom, 
the   right    to  exclude   those    whom   they   disapproved. 
Hence,  there   are  not  many  among  the  cardinals  that 
are  payable,  as  the  common  phrase  is,  that  is,  so  born, 
and  in  such  circumstances  that  they  can  be  invested  with 
the  dignity  of  pope.     The  methods  o(  electing  the  pope 
in  the  conclave,  are  the  following.  1.  By  scrutiny ;  that 
is  by  ballot.     A  golden  cup  is  placed  upon  the  altar,  into 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  1"% 

which  each  cardinal  casts  a  sealed  vote  ;  and  to  consti- 
tute an  election,  one  candidate  must  have  the  votes  of 
two-thirds  of  the  cardinals.  2.  By  access.  This  method 
is  resorted  to,  when  a  candidate  has  a  plurality  of  votes, 
but  not  enough  to  secure  his  election  by  the  former  me- 
thod. Attempts  are  made  to  bring  the  cardinals,  who  at 
first  voted  differently  to  accede  to  the  election  of  the  most 
popular  candidate.  This  opens  a  wide  door  for  manage- 
ment and  corruption.  2.  By  compromise.  That  is,  when 
the  conclave  continues  long  in  suspense,  and  cannot 
agree,  the  cardinals  at  last  transfer  their  right  of  election 
to  two  or  three  of  their  number,  and  resolve  to  abide  by 
their  decision.  4.  By  inspiration.  When  the  cardinals 
have  become  weary  of  their  long  confinement,  sometimes 
one  or  more  will  clamorously  announce  an  individual  as 
pope,  and  a  party  in  his  favor  previously  organized  and 
prepared,  will  so  zealously  join  in  the  measure,  that  the 
conclave  is  overawed,  and  all  opposition  is  at  length 
swallowed  up  in  the  general  acclamation.  This  might 
properly  be  stiled  the  election  by  mob,  rather  than  by  in- 
spiration. But  the  Italians  are  said  to  have  a  peculiar 
reverence  for  a  pope  chosen  by  inspiration,  though  they 
cannot  but  know  that  this  is  of  ail  methods,  the  most  dis- 
graceful. ~ 

In  the  system  of  popery,  the  details  of  business  are 
committed  to  the  trust  and  management  of  certain  classes 
of  the  pope's  servants,  called  congregations^  over  which 
one  or  more  cardinals  preside.  These  congregations  are 
properly  boards  of  commissioners,  meeting  at  stated  times 
with  full  and  definitive  powers,  within  certain  limits,  to 
decide  summarily  all  controversies,  and  to  control  and 
manage  all  business,  that  comes  within  their  respective 
provinces.  They  have  their  own  secretaries,  keep  re- 
cords of  their  proceedings,  may  send  for  persons  and 
papers,  call  on  professional  and  learned  men  for  their 
opinions,  and  are  bound  in  certain  cases,  to  consult  the 
pope  before  they  come  to  a  final  decision.     The  number 

11* 


126  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

and  specific  duties  of  the  several   congregations  vary 
from  time  to  time,  as  the  pope  and  his  council  see  fit  to 
ordain.     Special  congregations  may  be  created  by  the 
pope,  when  occasion  demands,  which  expire  when  their 
business  is  closed.  In  the  year  1587,  the  pope  established 
fifteen  permanent  congregations,  composed,  most  of  them 
of  five  cardinals,  andnoneofthemof  less  than  three.  They 
were,  "  1 .    The  congregation  of  the  holy  Inquisition  ;  or 
a  supreme   inquisitorial  tribunal  for  the  whole  Christian 
world.     In  this  court,  the  pope  in  person  presided.     2. 
The  congregation  on  letters  of  grace,  dispensations,  &c. 
The  congregation  on  the  erection,  union,   and  dismem- 
berment of  churches  and  bishoprics,  &c.     4.  The  con- 
gregation  for  supplying  the   ecclesiastical  states   with 
corn,  and  preventing  scarcity.     5.  The  congregation  on 
sacred  rites  and  ceremonies.     6.  The  congregation  for 
providing  and  regulating  a  papal  fleet,   to  consist  of  ten 
ships.     7.  The  congregation  on  the  index  of  prohibited 
books.     8.  The  congregation  for  interpreting  and  exe- 
cuting the  decrees  of  the  council  of  Trent,  excepting  ar- 
ticles of  faith.     9.  The  congregation  of  relief,  in  cases  of 
oppression  in  the  ecclesiastical  states.     10.  The  congre- 
gation on  the  university  of  Rome,  with  a  general  inspec- 
tion of  all  popish  seminaries.     11.  The    congregation 
on  the   different  orders   of  monks.      12.  The  congre- 
gation to  attend  to  the  applications  of  bishops  and  other 
prelates.     13.  The  congregation  on  the  roads,  bridges, 
and  aqueducts,  of  the  papal  territories.    14.  The  congre- 
gation for  superintending  the  Vatican,  or  papal  printing 
establishment.     15.  The  congregation  on  the  applica- 
tions of  all  citizens  of  the  ecclesiastical  states,  in  civil  and 
criminal    matters."      It   may  here   be   remarked,   that 
though  the   court   of  Rome  is  really  a  political  body, 
which  is  governed,  in  substance,   like   other  kingdoms 
subject  to  despotic  power,  yet  in  its  system,  every  part 
has  a  diflferent  name  from  that  adopted  by  common  usage. 
Thus,  the  ghostly  king  or  despot,  instead  of  being  called 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  127 

king,  czar,  emperor  or  nabob,  is  called  pope,  (or  father.) 
His  ministers  of  state  are  called  cardinals,  instead  of 
princes,  dukes,  lords,  and  chieftains.  His  ambassadors 
extraordinary,  are  called  legates  a  latere,  and  those  of  a 
lower  grade,  apostolical  nuntios.  His  chancery  is  called 
dataria;  his  boards  of  commissioners  and  judicatories, 
are  called  congregations ;  his  supreme  court  of  justice  is 
called  the  rota;  and  his  counsellors  of  state  are  called 
officers  of  the  rota.  The  government  of  the  pope  is  there- 
fore nothing  but  a  political  despotism,  under  the  garb  and 
appellations  of  religion.  It  has  no  relation  to  Christiani- 
ty or  the  Christian  church,  except  through  the  medium 
of  perverted  names  and  titles. 

Concerning  the  powers  and  prerogatives  of  this  mock- 
spiritual  despotism,  its  own  subjects  differ.  And  popery, 
though  always  manifesting  a  disposition  to  go  to  the  ex- 
tent of  its  means  and  opportunities  in  assuming  power 
and  prerogative,  is  still  sometimes  modified  by  circum- 
stances. Where  it  cannot  burn  and  destroy,  it  is  obliged 
to  be  content  with  complaints  and  menace.  Where  it 
cannot  reach  to  bite  and  devour,  it  must  be  satisfied  with 
merely  showing  teeth.  Like  the  tiger  within  grates,  it 
can  sometimes  only  gnash  and  growl.  But  its  temper 
and  pretensions  are  always  the  same.  Thus  Bunyan 
represents  popery  under  the  similitude  of  a  giant  called 
POPE,  who  in  latter  days,  that  is  since  the  reformation, 
could  only  sit  in  his  cave  and  snarl  at  the  pilgrims  that 
passed  by  on  their  journey  to  Zion.  From  such  circum- 
stances, it  happens  that  the  actual  power  of  popery  is  not 
the  same  in  all  times  and  countries,  though  popery  itself 
is  invariable.  The  pope  always  claims,  and  all  his  true 
friends  claim  for  him,  the  most  absolute  supremacy  ;  for 
his  holiness  contends,  that  not  only  all  spiritual  power 
and  majesty  reside  in  him  alone,  and  are  transmitted 
from  him,  in  given  portions  to  inferior  prelates  ;  but  that 
also  his  decisions  made  from  the  chair  of  popedom  are 
infallible.     This  he  claims  in  all  situations,  and  this  he 


128  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

would  claim  on  the  throne  or  the  dunghill,  And  his 
rule  is  to  carry  these  claims  into  effect  just  so  far  as  he 
may  possess  the  means  and  the  opportunity. 

Popery  lost,  indeed,  much  of  its  ancient  power  and 
splendor,  from  the  time  that  Luther  and  his  coadjutors 
exhibited  before  the  nations  of  Europe  the  native  simpli- 
city and  purity  of  true  Christianity.  Many  opulent 
countries  of  Europe  escaped  from  its  thraldom  under  the 
light  of  the  reformation,  and  its  resources  were  thus 
greatly  diminished.  And  even  some  of  the  kingdoms 
who  do  not  choose  wholly  to  abandon  popery,  have  their 
views  so  corrected  by  the  writings  and  discussions  of 
protestants,  that  they  will  not  submit  to  popery  in  all  its 
former  grossness.  Still,  where  popery  is  unrestrained, 
it  is  still  the  same  bitter  enemy  to  all  civil  and  religious 
liberty,  the  same  destroyer  of  all  social  and  spiritual 
happiness.  The  pope  has  still  very  extensive  sway  even 
in  the  kingdoms  of  Europe,  and  his  resources  and  re- 
venues are  far  from  trifling  or  scanty.  The  pope, 
through  his  priests  and  minions,  commands  the  purses  of 
some  of  the  most  wealthy  potentates  and  kingdoms  of 
Europe,  and  indeed  of  the  world.  Though  the  common 
people  are  always  degraded  by  popery,  and  no  cause  tends 
so  powerfully  to  multiply  beggars,  yet  the  pope  and  his 
clergy  always  make  sure  of  the  fleece.  The  pope  has 
many  clerical  livings  at  his  disposal,  none  of  which  are 
given  away.  In  particular,  he  disposes  of  all  the  livings, 
whose  incumbents  happen  to  die  at  his  court,  and  also 
the  livings  of  those  who  die  in  what  are  called  the  pon- 
tifical months.  So  that  it  behooved  those  who  had  rich 
livings  to  take  heed  how  they  visited  the  court  of  the 
pope,  and  to  guard  against  the  malaria  of  the  sacred 
months,  lest  some  fatal  catastrophe  might  happen  to  them. 
The  pope  also  confirms  the  election  of  cathedral  chapters 
by  the  spiritual  founders,  with  his  bulls  of  confirmation, 
which  was  a  source  of  great  gain  to  him.  He  also 
draws  annates,  or  the  incomes  of  the  first  year  of  incum- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  129 

bency  in  the  sees  of  bishops  and  archbishops.  Again, 
he  exacts  a  certain  sum  for  the  badge  of  spiritual  knight- 
hood in  the  ranks  of  popery,  or  for  what  is  called  the 
pallium  of  archbishops  and  bishops.  This  is  a  neck« 
cloth,  which  corresponds  to  the  ribbon  or  garter  of  secu- 
lar knighthood,  and  is  worn  by  distinguished  prelates 
when  they  say  mass,  and  on  great  occasions.  And  fur- 
ther, there  are  certain  cases  of  crime  reserved  for  the 
pope,  in  which  no  father  confessor  can  give  absolution  or 
dispensation,  and  in  which  the  granting  of  dispensations 
brings  large  revenues  to  the  pope.  Such,  for  example, 
as  matrimonial  cases,  the  relinquishment  of  the  clerical 
office,  and  of  monastic  vows.  And  finally,  the  pope  has 
power  to  impose  taxes  upon  his  clerical  subjects,  which 
are  called  subsidies.  The  monks  also  must  pay  an  an- 
nual sum  to  the  pope  for  his  protection.  Thus  the  pope 
in  fact  lives  in  great  wealth  and  luxury,  even  since  the 
reformation  ;  and  his  court,  according  to  the  testimony  of 
recent  travellers,  is  one  of  the  most  luxurious,  effemi- 
nate, and  dissipated,  in  the  world. 

To  repair  the  losses  in  its  power  and  fortunes  which 
popery  had  suffered  from  the  reformation,  it  soon  began 
to  make  great  efforts  to  extend  itself  over  different  and 
distant  nations.  Its  arms  reached  beyond  the  seas,  and 
by  means  of  its  instruments,  it  began  to  embrace  nations 
in  the  extremities  of  the  earth.  India,  China,  and  Japan, 
felt  its  fatal  gripe.  The  Abyssinians,  the  Copts  in  Egypt, 
and  the  South  Americans,  were  also  taken  in  its  toils. 
But  these  conquests  were  in  most  cases  achieved  by  means 
and  instruments  of  a  different  kind  from  those  which  had 
in  preceding  ages  been  successful.  That  most  effectual 
method  of  subduing  heretics  by  crusades,  being  of  neces- 
sity abandoned,  on  account  of  the  enlightened  state  of 
Europe,  other  means  became  necessary  for  the  safety  of 
popery.  The  inquisition,  it  is  true,  in  countries  where 
it  was  permitted,  still  continued  to  inflict  its  tortures,  and 
to  convert  heretics  by  fire  and  sword.     But  it  became  ne- 


130  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

cessary  to  regulate  and  fortify  this  tribunal  with  new  re- 
gulation, lest  the  light  which  was  dawning  on  the  world 
should  penetrate  and  demolish  its  strong  holds.  Colleges 
were  erected,  in  which  young  men  were  trained  by  con- 
tinual practice,  not  in  the  knowledge  of  truth,  or  useful 
arts,  but  in  the  best  method  of  defending  popery.  Books 
were  prohibited,  except  such  as  had  first  past  the  ordeal 
of  popish  examination.  But  as  the  popes  had  controlled, 
enlarged,  and  defended  their  empire  principally  by  means 
of  the  orders  of  monks  ;  and  as  the  former  orders,  which 
had  been  most  efficient,  had  by  their  indolence  and  vices 
lost  their  reputation,  and  become  inert,  it  became  neces- 
sary that  some  new  order  should  be  established,  which 
would  be  wholly  subservient  to  the  papal  interests,  and 
make  it  their  great  object  and  care  to  recover,  if  possible, 
what  had  been  lost,  to  repair  what  was  injured,  and  to  for- 
tify and  guard  what  was  yet  in  possession.  Such  a  new 
society  as  the  necessities  of  popery  required  was  found  in 
that  noted  and  most  active  and  pernicious  order  of  monks, 
which,  according  to  the  policy  of  the  popish  despotism, 
assumed  the  name  of  Jesus,  and  was  called  the  Society  of 
Jesuits. 

The  founder  of  this  society  was  Ignatius  Loyola,  a 
Spanish  knight,  who  was  first  a  soldier  and  then  a  fana- 
tic. He  was  born  in  1491.  Trained  up  in  ignorance 
and  vice  at  the  Spanish  court,  he  early  entered  on  mar- 
tial life.  In  defending  Pampeluna  he  had  a  leg  broken, 
and  during  his  long  confinement  he  amused  himself  with 
reading  romances.  A  Spanish  legend  of  certain  saints 
being  put  into  his  hands,  led  him  to  renounce  the  world 
and  become  a  saint.  He  first  visited  the  shrine  of  the 
virgin  Mary,  hung  his  arms  on  her  altar,  and  devoted 
himself  to  her  as  her  knight.  He  next  went,  as  a  pil- 
grim, to  a  certain  hospital,  and  spent  a  year  among  the 
poor.  He  next  set  out  for  the  holy  land,  but  he  went  by 
the  way  of  Italy,  that  he  might  obtain  the  blessing  of  the 
pope. .   After  his  return  from  Palestine  he  went  to  Paris, 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  131 

where  he  found  several  young  men  of  kindred  spirit, 
who  united  with  him  in  a  kind  of  monastic  association  in 
1534.  At  first  they  had  but  seven,  but  soon  after  their 
number  increased  to  ten.  At  length  Loyola  conceived 
the  idea  of  forming  a  new  peculiar  order  of  monks. 
His  companions  came  into  the  plan,  and  they  applied  to 
the  pope  to  confirm  their  institution.  This  he  did,  with 
some  limitations  at  first,  but  afterwards  those  limitations 
were  removed.  Loyola  was  chosen  general  of  the  order, 
and  continued  so  until  his  death.  The  Jesuits  hold  an 
intermediate  place  between  the  monks  and  the  secular 
clergy,  and  approach  nearest  to  the  order  of  regular  ca- 
nons ;  for  while  they  live  secluded  from  the  multitude, 
and  are  under  vows  like  monks,  yet  they  are  exempted 
from  the  most  painful  duties  of  monks,  that  they  may 
have  more  time  to  devote  to  the  active  service  of  the  pope. 
Indeed,  this  order  was  conformed  to  the  spirit  of  the  age. 
The  spirit  of  inquiry  and  action  was  abroad  among  the 
protestants,  and  the  whining  cant  of  the  mendicant  monks 
would  now  excite  nothing  but  ridicule  and  contempt. 
The  Jesuits,  therefore,  found  that  the  time  which  their 
predecessors  had  spent  in  pretended  solitude  and  mortifi- 
cation, they  must  spend  in  action,  in  the  instruction  of 
youth,  in  writing  books,  and  guiding  the  minds  of  their 
followers.  The  whole  order  was  divided  into  three 
classes,  viz.,  the  professors,  who  live  in  houses  of  the 
professors  ;  the  scholastics,  who  teach  youth  in  their  col- 
leges ;  and  the  novices,  who  reside  in  houses  especially 
erected  for  them.  The  professors,  in  addition  to  the 
three  common  vows  of  monks,  are  bound  by  a  fourth,  by 
which  they  engage  before  God  that  they  will  instantly  go 
wherever  the  pope  shall  at  any  time  bid  them  ;  and  they 
profess  to  have  no  revenues,  but  to  live  on  the  bounties  of 
the  pious.  The  other  classes,  especially  the  residents  in 
the  colleges,  have  very  ample  possessions.  Compared 
with  the  other  classes,  the  professors  are  few  in  number, 
and  are  generally  men  of  prudence,  skill,  experience,  and 


132  HISTORY    OF    POPERV. 

learning ;  in  a  word,  they  are  true  and  perfect  Jesuits. 
The  others  are  Jesuits  only  in  a  looser  sense,  and  are 
rather  to  be  considered  assistants  and  associates.     The 
mysteries  of  the  society  are  imparted  only  to  a  few  of  the 
professors ;  men  of  years,  and  of  the  most  tried  charac- 
ters.    The  rest  are  mere  dupes.     Popery,  since  the  time 
of  the  reformation,  owes  more  for  its  existence  and  re- 
sources to  the  single  society  of  the  Jesuits,  than  to  all 
other  means.     This  fraternity  being  spread  abroad  over 
the  greater  part  of  the  world,  confirmed  those  that  were 
wavering,  and  restrained  the  progress  of  the  heretics. 
It  gathered  into  the  number  of  the  professed  followers  of 
the  pope  a  great  multitude  from  among  the  most  distant 
nations ;  it  ingratiated  itself  into  the  favor  of  kings  and 
princes ;    and  by  an  ingenious   accommodation  of  the 
principles  of  the  gospel  and  of  morals  to  the  propensities 
of  men,  or  rather  by  converting  the  gospel  to  men,  it 
made  great  numbers  of  converts,  and  obtained  almost  the 
sole  direction  of  the  consciences  of  kings  and  nobles,  and 
every  where  most  scrupulously  guarded  the  interests  of 
the  pope  from  damage.     All  these  circumstances  pro- 
cured for  the  society  immense  wealth,  resources,  and  the 
highest  reputation.     The  prudence,  or  rather  the  cunning 
of  the  order,  avoided  all  difficulty,  and  silenced  all  oppo- 
sition.    They  became,  in  the  most  unqualified  sense,  all 
things  to  all  men  ;  and  pra,cticed,  upon  the  largest  scale, 
what  Paul   was    accused  by  his    enemies    of   doing — 
"  Being  crafty,  they  caught — with  guile."     The  secret 
instructions  to  the  provincials,  and  to  subordinate  organs 
and  members  of  the  society,  were  totally  unknown,  for 
the  most  part,  to  any  person,  except  those  to  whom  they 
were  addressed.     The  general  rules  and  artifices   by 
which  individuals  were  to  insinuate  themselves  into  all 
places,  and  obtain  for  the  society  dominion  and  control 
over  all  persons  and  transactions,  were  among  the  mys- 
teries of  the  society.     Two  copies  of  them,  however,  the 
one  larger  and  more  minute  than  the  other,  were  said  to 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  133 

have  been  obtained,  the  first  from  a  ship  bound  to  the 
East  Indies,  and  captured  by  the  Dutch,  and  the  other 
discovered  in  a  certain  college  of  the  Jesuits.  The  ge- 
nuineness of  these  books  has  of  course  been  constantly 
denied  by  the  Jesuits ;  but  the  best  evidence  which  the 
vi^orld  has  of  their  genuine  character,  is  their  corres- 
pondence with  the  visible  conduct  of  the  order.  Ac- 
cording to  these  writings,  nothing  can  be  more  crafty  and 
void  of  all  fixed  moral  principle,  than  the  general  policy 
of  the  Jesuits.  The  general  of  the  order  held  his  office 
for  life,  under  certain  limitations,  and  was  to  reside  con- 
stantly at  Rome,  and  had  a  select  council  to  advise  him, 
and  to  execute  his  orders.  His  authority  over  the  whole 
order  was  absolute.  He  held  despotic  sway  over  every 
person,  interest,  and  thing  connected  with  the  order. 
Nor  was  he  accountable  to  any  earthly  power  but  the 
pope.  Over  each  province  is  a  provincial,  whose  power 
is  equally  despotic  over  his  portion  of  the  society.  He 
must  visit  and  inspect  all  the  houses  in  his  province,  re- 
quire regular  monthly  returns  to  be  made  to  him  from 
every  part  of  the  province,  of  all  that  was  transacted, 
learned,  or  contemplated,  and  he  must  make  similar  re- 
turns every  three  months  to  the  general.  Every  person 
belonging  to  the  order  is  thus  continually  inspected,  and 
trained  to  implicit  obedience,  secrecy,  and  f^delit5^  The 
whole  fraternity  is  like  a  regular  army,  completely  offi- 
cered, trained  to  service,  and  governed  by  the  will  of  one 
man,  who  stands  at  the  pope's  right  hand. 

Among  the  means  by  which  popery  sought  to  extend 
itself  against  the  pressure  of  the  reformation  in  the  six- 
teenth century,  several  societies  or  congregations  at  Rome, 
in  addition  to  those  already  specified,  ought  not  to  be 
omitted.  In  1522,  was  established  the  celebrated  con- 
gregation for  the  propagation  of  the  faith,  commonly 
called  the  *^ popish  propaganda"  and  furnished  with  very 
extensive  revenues.  This  body  consists  of  thirteen  car- 
'dinals,  two  priests,  and  one  monk,  together  with  a  scribe, 

12 


134  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

and  has  for  its  object  the  support  and  the  propagation  of 
the  faith  in  all  parts  of  the  world.  Its  revenues  are  such 
that  it  is  able  to  make  almost  unlimited  expenditures. 
Hence  it  sends  out  numerous  missionaries  to  the  most 
remote  nations  ;  publishes  books  of  various  kinds,  neces- 
sary for  learning  foreign  and  some  of  them  barbarous 
languages  ;  maintains  and  educates  a  vast  number  of 
selected  youth  for  missionaries,  liberally  educates  young 
men  sent  to  Rome  from  foreign  countries,  that  they  may 
become  instructors  of  their  countrymen  on  their  return 
home  ;  takes  up  and  provides  for  persons  who  have  been 
banished  for  their  constancy  in  defending  the  principles 
of  popery,  and  plans  and  accomplishes  various  objects 
almost  beyond  belief  to  those  not  acquainted  with  their 
affairs.  Devoted  to  its  use,  the  institution  has  a  very 
splendid  and  extensive  palace,  the  delightful  situation  of 
which  gives  it  exquisite  charms.  To  this  institution  for 
propagating  the  faith,  another  was  added  in  the  year 
1527,  not  indeed  equally  magnificent,  but  yet  renowned 
and  efficient ;  this  was  called  the  college  or  seminary  for 
propagating  the  faith  (i.  e.  popery.)  In  this  seminary, 
young  men  from  almost  all  countries,  are  educated  to 
become  teachers  of  popery  in  foreign  countries,  and  are 
instructed  and  imbued  thoroughly  with  the  spirit  of  their 
work.  This  seminary  was  founded  by  the  liberality  of 
an  individual,  who  gave  all  his  property  to  the  pope  for 
this  purpose.  Many  others  afterward  imitated  this  libe- 
rality and  to  this  day  imitate  it.  At  first  this  seminary 
was  managed  by  a  special  board  of  commissioners,  con- 
sisting of  three  canons  of  the  patriarchal  churches  at 
Rome.  But  since  1641  it  has  been  under  the  control  of 
the  Congregatio7i  de  propaganda  fide.  In  1 563,  the 
congregation  of  priests  for  foreign  missions  was  insti- 
tuted by  royal  authority  in  France,  and  likewise  the  Pa- 
risian seminary  for  missions  to  foreign  nations  was 
founded  by  certain  bishops  and  theologians,  in  which 
men  might  be  educated  and  instructed  to  become  preach- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  135 

ers  of  popery  among  heathen  nations.  From  this  semi- 
nary go  forth,  even  to  the  present  day,  the  apostolical 
vicars  of  Siam,  Tonquin,  Cochin  China,  the  bishops  of 
Babylon,  and  the  apostolic  vicars  of  Persia,  and  other 
missionaries  to  the  Asiatic  regions,  and  they  derive  their 
support  from  the  ample  revenues  of  the  congregation 
and  the  seminary.  But  there  has  ordinarily  been  much 
contention  between  the  common  priests  and  the  Jesuits 
about  the  prosecution  of  missions.  The  Jesuits  pursue  a 
course  in  making  converts  to  their  faith,  or  rather  a  pro- 
fession of  their  faith,  which  gives  great  umbrage  to  their 
rivals.  It  is  alleged  by  the  other  popish  missionaries, 
that  the  Jesuits  instill  into  most  of  their  proselytes,  not  the 
pure  principles  of  popery,  but  a  lax  and  spurious  system  ; 
that  they  connive  at  practices  and  opinions  among  their 
followers  which  are  heathenish  and  profane ;  that  they 
amass  vast  riches  by  traffic  and  other  unbecoming  occu- 
pations ;  that  they  are  eager  after  worldly  honor,  and 
court  the  favor  of  the  great  by  flattery  and  bribes  ;  that 
they  involve  themselves  too  much  in  the  political  con- 
cerns of  nations,  and  frequently  excite  seditions  and  civil 
wars.  These  allegations,  it  must  be  confessed,  are  but 
too  true.  But  papists  are  the  last  people  in  the  world 
who  should  offer  such  charges  against  each  other.  It 
reminds  the  reader  of  what  he  has  doubtless  sometimes 
witnessed  in  one  drunkard  complaining  of  another  for 
fear  he  would  swallow  all  the  liquor.  The  sentiments  of 
the  Jesuits  respecting  the  conversion  of  the  heathen  were 
substantially  as  follows. 

"  The  Jesuits  are  of  opinion  that  people  sunk  deep  in 
superstition  should  be  approached  with  art  and  policy; 
and  that  they  are  to  be  led  with  a  cautious  and  careful 
hand  to  embrace  popery.  Hence  they  explain  and  in^ 
terpret  the  received  and  established  doctrines  of  the  pa- 
gans,— as  for  instance  the  precepts  of  Confucius  in 
China, — in  such  a  manner  that  they  may  seem  to  differ 
as  little  as  possible  from  the  doctrines  of  popery.     And 


136  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

if  they  find  any  thing  in  the  history  or  the  religion  of 
pagans,  at  all  analogous  to  the  faith  and  history  of  popery, 
they  carefully  apply  it,  to  show  how  small  the  difference 
between  the  old  and  new  religion.  The  rites  and  usages 
also  which  the  pagans  received  from  their  progenitors, 
unless  they  are  totally  opposed  to  the  rites  and  interests 
of  popery,  they  tolerate ;  and,  either  by  changing  the 
form  a  little,  or  referring  the  rites  to  a  better  motive  than 
before,  they  easily  accommodate  the  two  systems  to  each 
other.  The  natural  bias  and  propensities  of  the  people 
they  cherish  to  the  utmost,  and  carefully  avoid  whatever 
is  contrary  to  their  inclination.  The  leading  men  they 
labor  by  all  possible  means,  even  by  pious  frauds,  to  se- 
cure and  bring  over  to  their  party.  They  court  the 
favor  and  friendship  of  those  in  power,  by  presents,  by 
the  cultivation  of  various  arts,  mathematics,  medicine, 
painting,  and  also  by  counsel  and  assistance  in  difficulty. 
These  things  are  looked  upon  by  their  rival  associates, 
as  tricks  and  artifice,  unworthy  of  the  professed  ambas- 
sadors of  Christianity."  The  above  account  may  sa- 
tisfy the  inquisitive  mind  of  the  reason  why  popery  bears 
such  a  striking  resemblance,  in  many  respects,  to  pagan- 
ism, and  in  fact  differs  so  little  in  its  general  aspects  and 
influence  from  paganism,  except  in  the  name.  The  truth 
is,  popery  has  always  been  intent  on  converting  men  to 
the  pope  rather  than  to  Christ ;  it  has  been  more  anxious 
to  make  its  converts  subservient  to  its  own  interests,  than 
to  lead  them  in  the  way  of  salvation.  Hence  the  papal 
emissaries  have  not  hesitated  to  concede  to  pagans  every 
thing  they  wished  respecting  the  principle  and  substance 
of  their  religion,  provided,  that  in  form  and  name,  they 
would  enlist  under  the  pope.  Thus  popery  has  been 
gradually  approximating  to  paganism,  until  it  can  scarcely 
be  distinguished  from  the  ancient  superstitions  of  hea- 
then idolaters.  As  an  example  of  the  foregoing  statement, 
respecting  the  manner  in  which  the  Jesuits  prosecuted 
their  missions,  the  case  of  Robert  de  Nobili  may  be  ad- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  137 

duced.  He  became  a  Jesuit  at  the  age  of  20,  and  in  the 
year  1606,  he  entered  on  a  mission  to  India.  Robert, 
early  perceiving  that  the  Hindoo  caste  was  a  powerful 
obstacle  in  the  way  of  his  success,  he  determined  to  turn 
this  insurmountable  obstacle  into  a  powerful  engine  of 
converting  the  Hindoos.  Having  obtained  the  approba- 
tion of  his  plan  from  the  archbishop  of  Cranganore,  he 
assumed  the  habits  and  garb  of  a  brahmin,  shut  himself 
up  in  a  cell,  avoided  society,  learned  well  the  Tamul  and 
Sanscrit  languages,  and  studied  the  sacred  books  of  the 
Hindoos ;  and  then  came  forth,  avowing  himself  to  be 
a  foreign  brahmin,  and  a  reformer  of  the  corruptions  of 
the  brahminical  religion.  His  learning  and  eloquence 
were  generally  admired,  and  he  soon  gained  one  brahmin 
to  his  popish  brahminism,  and  then  others,  till  the  num- 
ber amounted  to  seventy.  These  suffered  indeed  some 
opposition  from  the  ancient  brahmins,  and  from  the  jeal- 
ousy of  the  other  advocates  of  popery.  Robert,  however, 
continued  his  labors  in  converting  the  Hindoos  to  a  new 
form  of  Hindooism  for  nearly  half  a  century,  until  the 
number  of  his  followers  amounted  to  more  than  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand.  This  he  might  call  fighting  the 
devil  with  his  own  weapons  ;  but  if  the  result  was  only 
to  convert  men  from  one  form  of  paganism  to  another, 
the  devil  would  have  no  very  serious  objections  to  such 
a  warfare,  or  such  a  victory.  The  policy  of  the  Jesuits 
above  stated,  may  be  further  illustrated  by  a  considera- 
tion of  the  two  great  points  of  controversy,  which  for  a 
time  agitated  the  kingdom  of  popery,  respecting  the  pro- 
per instruction  to  be  given  to  converts  from  paganism. 

The  first  point  in  this  controversy  respected  the  wor- 
ship of  God.  The  Chinese  call  the  supreme  God  whom 
they  worship  Tien,  and  Shangti,  that  is,  in  their  lan- 
guage, heaven.  The  Jesuits  transferred  this  name  to  the 
God  they  professed  to  worship,  and  thus  seemed  to  say 
that  there  was  no  difference  between  the  God  of  the 
Chinese  and  the  God  of  papists  ;  or  that  the  Chinese  at- 

12* 


I3i8  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

tacK  the  same  idea  to  Tien,  that  Christians  do  to  God, 
or  Jehovah.  But  this  is  denied  by  the  adversaries  of  the 
Jesuits,  who  aver,  what  is  indeed  very  clear,  that  the 
Chinese  understand  by  the  words  specified,  merely  the 
visible  heavens,  and  are  therefore  idolaters.  But  the 
Jesuits  found  it  for  their  interest  to  maintain  the  opposite 
opinion.  They  contend  that  these  names  were  used  by 
the  ancient  Chinese  philosophers,  who,  they  think,  had 
jast  ideas  of  natural  religion,  to  denote  such  a  God  as 
the  bible  reveals,  and  therefore  that  the  Chinese  terms 
in  worship  might  with  propriety  be  retained.  They 
therefore  allowed  their  converts  to  continue  the  use  of 
the  former  terms  of  their  worship ;  nay,  the  Jesuits,  in 
becoming  all  things  to  all  men,  and  in  accommodation  to 
the  feelings  of  their  heathen  converts,  used  these  terms  in 
their  own  worship.  Thus  they  converted  the  Chinese, 
by  joining,  in  fact,  in  their  idolatry. 

The  second  point  of  controversy  respected  an  ancient 
usage  of  the  Chinese,  in  worshiping  the  souls  of  thfeir 
departed  ancestors.  The  laws  of  the  Chinese  require 
the  people  annually,  at  stated  seasons,  to  honor  their  de- 
ceased ancestors  with  certain  ceremonies,  which  appear 
to  partake  of  religious  homage.  And  besides,  all  the 
literati  of  the  nation,  at  certain  times,  must  pay  a  kind  of 
worship,  which  appears  to  have  a  religious  aspect,  to 
Confucius,  who  is  esteemed  among  them  the  father  of  all 
wisdom.  Now  the  question  is,  whether  this  worship  is 
to  be  considered  as  a  civil  or  religious  honor  ;  whether 
they  are  real  sacrifices,  or  only  ceremonies  established  for 
state  purposes.  The  Jesuits  aver,  according  to  their 
governing  policy,  that  these  rites  were  instituted  merely 
to  keep  the  people  in  order,  and  preserve  the  tranquillity 
of  the  state.  They  maintain  that  the  Chinese  do  not 
offer  religious  homage  to  their  departed  relatives,  nor  to 
Confucius  ;  but  intend  by  these  ceremonies  to  testify 
their  grateful  sense  of  the  merits  of  their  departed  an- 
cestors, and  of  their  great  lawgiver.     Hence  they  con- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  139 

elude  that  it  is  allowable  for  papal  converts  to  observe 
these  ancient  rites  of  their  country,  provided  they  un- 
derstand the  true  nature  and  ground  of  them,  and  keep 
in  view  their  object.     If  these  reasonings  are  correct, 
it  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  first  Christian  martyrs,  under 
the  emperors  of  pagan  Rome,  did  not  understand  this 
policy  of  bringing  Christianity  and  paganism  to  coalesce. 
For  the  same  argument  will  apply  to  the  rites  of  pagan 
Rome.     Her  idolatries  were  enjoined  by  public  laws, 
and  might  therefore  be  considered  as  mere  matters  of 
state.     And  the  early  Christians,  if  they  had  regarded 
them  in  this  light,  might,  by  a  compliance,  have  escaped 
the  flames  of  martyrdom.     Some  of  the  more  candid  of 
the  Jesuits  are  indeed  so  little  satisfied  with  this  plea, 
that  they  attempt  to  justify  the  practice  on  the  ground  of 
necessity  and  expediency.       They  say  the  advantages 
of  the  practice  are  so  great,  that  the  evils,  if  there  are 
any,  are  not  lo  be  accounted  evils.     Thus  much  may 
suffice   to    exhibit  the  character  and  principles  of  the 
Jesuits,  those  emissaries  of  popery,  who  have  under- 
taken to  prop  up  its  tottering  foundation,  and  to  defend  its 
cause  against  the  light  of  the  present  age. 

In  the  commencement  of  the  seventeenth  century,  the 
abettors  of  popery  made  violent  struggles  to  recover  the 
territories  which  they  had  lost  by  the  reformation .  These 
attempts  w^ere  made  by  force  and  arms.  A  war  of  per- 
secution began  in  the  Austrian  territories,  which  raged 
for  thirty  years,  and  proved  exceedingly  disastrous  to 
Germany.  The  occasion  of  this  war  was  as  follows. 
Those  who  had  renounced  popery  in  the  Austrian  do- 
minions, were,  in  the  beginning  of  the  century,  oppressed 
in  various  ways  by  their  adversaries  with  impunity,  and 
were  divested  of  all  their  rights.  Most  of  them  had 
neither  resolution  nor  ability  to  defend  their  cause, 
though  guaranteed  by  the  most  solemn  treaties  and  laws. 
The  Bohemians  alone,  when  they  perceived  it  to  be  the 
fixed  purpose  of  papists  to  deprive  them  of  all  liberty  to 


140  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

worship  God  according  to  their  own  conscience,  though 
that  liberty  had  been  purchased  with  immense  expense 
of  blood  by  their  fathers,  and  but  recently  confirmed  to 
them  by  royal  charter,  resolved  to  resist  the  enemies  of 
their  souls,  force  to  force,  and  arms  to  arms.  Therefore, 
having  entered  into  a  league,  they  ventured  courageously 
to  avenge  the  wrongs  done  to  them  and  their  religion. 
They  went  so  far  when  opportunity  offered,  by  the  death 
of  their  former  sovereign,  as  to  elect  for  their  sovereign. 
Frederick  V.  the  electoral  prince  Palatine,  who  pro- 
fessed the  reformed  religion.  But  by  this  step,  from 
which  they  expected  security  and  peace  in  their  religion, 
they  brought  ruin  upon  their  king  and  themselves.  And 
among  other  calamities,  ihey  suffered  that  which  they 
most  dreaded  :  the  loss  of  a  religion  purged  of  popish 
corruptions.  Frederick  was  vanquished,  and  became  an 
exile.  Many  of  the  Bohemians  were  punished  with 
imprisonment,  banishment,  confiscation  of  their  property, 
and  death  ;  and  the  whole  nation,  from  that  time  forward, 
was  forced  to  receive  the  religion  of  the  conqueror,  and 
obey  the  decrees  of  the  pope.  The  papists,  elated  with 
this  success,  did  not  fail  to  take  advantage  of  the  oppor- 
tunity to  display  the  genius  of  their  religion.  They 
were  confident  that  the  period  had  come,  when  they 
could  either  destroy  the  whole  mass  of  heretics,  or 
bring  them  again  within  the  embrace  of  popery.  They 
therefore  carried  fire  and  sword  through  a  great  part  of 
Germany.  In  Hungary  also,  the  citizens  who  were 
Protestants  were  tormented  with  various  and  innume- 
rable vexations  and  persecutions  for  ten  years.  Of  the 
evils  which  they  suffered  from  the  Jesuits,  there  was 
neither  measure  nor  end.  In  Poland,  all  that  dissented 
from  the  pope,  experienced,  to  their  very  great  sorrow 
and  distress,  nearly  through  the  century,  that  no  compact 
limiting  the  power  of  popery  was  accounted  sacred,  or 
at  all  regarded  at  Rome.  And  so  long  as  it  shall  remain 
the  established  belief  at  Rome,  that  God  has  given  to  the 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  I4l 

pope  dominion  over  the  whole  Christian  world,  it  can 
never  be  expected  that  those  can  remain  in  security  who 
renounce  that  dominion.  They  will  always  be  regard- 
ed as  rebels,  whom  the  lawful  sovereign  has  a  right  to 
punish  according  to  his  pleasure,  whenever  he  has  the 
power  and  the  opportunity.  France  and  Spain  were  in 
this  century  completely  subjected  to  the  pope.  And  great 
efforts,  devices,  and  plans,  were  put  in  requisition  to 
bring  the  Britons  under  the  papal  yoke.  And  when  the 
king  of  Britain,  James  I.  espoused  the  cause  of  truth, 
the  Jesuits  determined,  and  actually  attempted,  to  destroy 
him,  his  son,  and  the  whole  British  parliament  by  gun- 
powder. The  plot  when  ripe  for  execution,  was  most 
providentially  discovered,  and  stands  recorded  on  the 
page  of  history  as  a  monument  of  the  genius  and  ten- 
der mercies  of  popery. 

At  length  the  wiser  patrons  of  the  popish  cause,  per- 
ceived that  they  gained  little  by  violence  and  war,  and 
they  concluded  that  the  reluctant  minds  of  the  protestants 
might  more  successfully  be  overcome  by  trick  and  arti- 
fice. But  they  were  not  agreed  as  to  the  precise  course 
to  be  adopted.  Some  resorted  to  public  disputations,  be- 
tween distinguished  men  of  the  two  communities,  in- 
dulging an  expectation  that  by  such  interviews,  the  more 
strenuous  adversaries  of  papal  supremacy  might  be 
either  vanquished,  or  conciliated.  Others  thought  that 
contests  and  disputes  should  be  avoided,  and  that  consul- 
tation under  the  name  of  compromise,  should  be  attempt- 
ed. Others  yet  thought  more  vigorous  and  skilful  at- 
tacks by  means  of  argument  should  be  the  course.  But 
all  of  these  projectors  had  one  object  in  view,  which  was 
to  deceive  and  dupe  the  friends  of  truth,  and  not  to  recede 
in  the  least  degree  from  the  claims  of  popery.  The  plan 
of  those  who  recommended  compromise,  and  reconcilia- 
tion on  that  ground,  was  to  persuade  the  protestants  that 
there  was  no  difference  between  the  two  parties,  or  that 
they  did  not  disagree  so  much  as  they  supposed.  They 


142  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

alleged  that  there  was  notsomuchneed  ofarg-umentation 
of  the  points  at  issue,  as  of  a  careful  and  perspicuous  ex- 
planation of  the  doctrines  of  popery,  which  were  of- 
fensive to  their  opponents.  They  claimed  that  the  ad- 
vocates of  popery  were  not  understood,  and  that  if  a  pro- 
per understanding  could  take  place,  all  controversy 
would  be  removed,  and  all  minds  be  united  in  the  bonds 
of  entire  harmony.  They  therefore  would  discounten- 
ance all  discussion  as  being  divisory  and  polemic  ;  and 
their  cry  was  peace,  peace.  For  their  hope  was,  that,  if 
they  could  prevail  on  the  protestants  to  lay  aside  discus- 
sion, the  differences  between  them  would  speedily  dis- 
appear, and  the  attention  of  the  people  being  turned 
away  from  principles  to  appearances,  the  way  would 
be  prepared  to  draw  back  the  ignorant  and  unwary  to 
the  toils  of  popery.  And  let  this  plea  of  popery  be  care- 
fully noted  by  all  who  are  called  to  defend  the  truth 
against  the  inroads  of  error,  of  whatever  kind.  When 
the  enemies  of  truth  find  the  opposition  tou  strong  to  be 
broken  through  by  force  of  influence  or  argument,  then 
they  will  always  raise  the  treacherous  cry  of  peace. 
"  Come  and  let  us  meet  together  in  the  plains  of  ono," 
they  say.  They  will  pretend  to  agree  in  all  import- 
ant points,  with  those  whom  they  have  before  denounced 
and  persecuted  to  the  extent  of  their  power.  They  will 
decry  discussion  as  savoring  of  a  warlike  spirit,  and  cal- 
culated to  make  divisions.  They  are  for  peace,  all  for 
peace.  But  mark,  the  peace  must  consist  in  their  having 
their  own  way.  Error  never  is  more  dangerous  than 
when  it  assumes  this  appearance.  The  plea  is  specious, 
and  highly  calculated  to  decoy  weak  and  credulous 
minds.  The  principal  man  among  those  who  endeavor- 
ed to  draw  protestants  into  this  snare,  was  cardinal 
Richelieu,  the  politic  minister  of  France,  who  spared  no 
arts,  persuasions,  or  threats,  to  bring  the  reformed  back 
to  the  arms  of  popery.  In  more  recent  times,  no  one 
has    entered  on   this   course  with   more  sagacity  than 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  143 

James  Benignus  Bossuet,  bishop  of  Meaux.  He  pub- 
lished an  exposition  of  the  popish  faith,  which  tends  ex- 
clusively to  show,  that  a  short  and  easy  way  would  be 
open  to  protestants  to  return  to  popery,  if  they  would 
only  judge  of  it  according  to  its  nature  and  principles  as 
it  really  is,  and  not  according  to  the  representations  made 
of  it  by  its  enemies.  This  was  very  plausible,  but  ut- 
terly delusive.  At  first  the  pope  and  his  friends  alarmed 
at  its  apparent  concessions,  condemned  the  book,  and 
several  popish  priests  were  severely  handled  for  preach- 
ing its  sentiments.  But  being  satisfied  at  length,  that 
its  concessions  were  merely  apparent,  and  that  it  was  a 
true  Jesuistical  performance,  the  advocates  of  popery 
changed  their  opinion  respecting  the  exposition.  But 
archbishop  Wake,  a  protestant  prelate  of  England,  took 
the  publication  in  hand,  and  with  decisive  effect  unmasked 
the  perfidious  sophistry  of  this  performance.  An  ex- 
cellent answer  to  it  was  also  given  by  M.  de  la  Bastide, 
an  eminent  protestant  divine  of  France.  Of  this  answer 
Bossuet  took  no  notice  during  eight  years.  At  the  end 
of  that  period,  he  published  an  advertisement  in  a  new 
edition  of  his  exposition,  which  was  designed  to  remove 
the  objections  of  la  Bastide.  But  the  latter  replied  with 
such  a  demonstrative  and  victorious  argument,  that  the 
papal  champion  was  driven  from  the  field  of  controversy. 
After  him,  John  Dezius,  a  Jesuit  of  Strasburgh,  under- 
took to  demonstrate  the  same  thing,  though  with  less 
success,  in  a  book,  in  which  he  endeavors  to  prove 
that  there  is  no  disagreement,  or  but  very  little,  between 
the  council  of  Trent  and  the  Augsburgh  confession  ; 
than  which  no  two  systems  can  be  more  unlike.  At 
length  Christopher  de  Roxas,  bishop  of  Thina,  came  for- 
ward clothed  with  public  authority,  or  professing  to  be 
so,  and  visited  the  principal  courts  in  Germany,  not  only 
holding  out  the  promise  of  a  new  and  more  free  council 
than  that  of  Trent,  but  also  giving  assurance,  that  the 
pope  would  freely  grant  to  his  returning  children,  the 


344  HISTORY    OF    POPERl. 

protestants,  whatever  privileges  or  immunities  they 
might  demand,  if  they  would  cease  to  decline  the  very 
mild  government  of  the  common  father  of  Christians, 
the  pope.  But  it  was  not  difficult  for  the  theologians 
and  the  more  discerning  laymen  to  discover  that  this 
was  only  a  snare,  and  that  the  papal  emissaries  aimed 
not  so  much  to  effect  an  honorable  peace,  as  to  bring 
them  back  again  under  the  ancient  system  of  slavery. 
These  perfidious  peace-makers  found  some  among  the 
protestant  divines,  whose  want  of  firmness  and  decision. 
or  whose  hope  of  obtaining  favor  and  making  their  for- 
tunes, induced  them  to  listen  to  these  overtures,  and  to 
assert  that  the  points  in  dispute  were  not  of  such  mag- 
nitude as  to  shut  out  all  hope  of  reconciliation.  These 
medium  men,  as  they  would  be  esteemed,  were  at  first 
very  much  applauded  by  the  papists,  but  in  the  end  they 
obtained  the  reward  which  awaits  all  double  dealers  and 
traitors,  they  offended  both  parties,  and  drew  upon  them- 
selves a  great  weight  of  odium. 

It  may  be  proper  here  to  subjoin  some  of  the  terms  on 
which  the  popish  peace-makers  proposed  to  effect  an 
union.  These  terms  demonstrate  the  duplicity  of  the 
papists,  as  they  offer  either  from  worldly  policy  or  in 
mere  pretence,  to  abandon  principles  which  are  essential 
to  their  whole  system.  The  terms  offered  by  the  bishop 
of  Thina  above  mentioned,  were  as  follows.  1.  A  sus- 
pension of  the  decrees  of  the  council  of  Trent,  and  the 
assembling  of  a  new  council,  in  which  the  protestants 
and  papists  should  have  an  equal  number  of  votes,  and 
the  decisions  of  Trent  undergo  a  new  and  impartial  in- 
vestigation. 2.  The  acquittal  of  the  protestants  of  the 
charge  of  heresy,  if  they  would  cease  to  call  the  pope 
anti-christ.  3.  Communion  in  both  elements  ;  mar- 
riage of  priests,  continuance  in  their  possession  of 
church  property,  abolition  of  auricular  confession,  and 
public  worship  in  the  vernacular  tongue.     In  respect  to 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  145 

the  authority  of  the  pope  and  tradition  he  was  reserved. 
The  archbishop  of  Mayence,  after  consuhing  the  papists, 
made  the  following  propositions  to  the  protestants  of 
Ratisbon ;  viz.  1.  That  twelve  protestant  and  twelve 
papal  divines  should  meet  together,  swear  to  act  honestly 
and  in  good  faith,  without  fraud,  or  subterfuge,  as  they 
should  answer  it  to  God,  2.  That  they  should  examine 
the  religious  disputes  and  decide  them  according  to  the 
bible  only.  3.  That  to  enable  them  to  agree,  they  should 
first  make  a  new  translation  of  the  bible.  4.  That  what- 
ever a  majority  of  them  should  agree  to  should  be  con- 
sidered as  valid  articles  of  faith.  5.  That  both  the  de- 
crees of  the  council  of  Trent,  and  the  Augsburgh  con- 
fession, should  be  examined  article  by  article,  and  judged 
of  by  the  scriptures.  As  preliminary  to  this  agreement 
it  was  proposed  to  yield,  1.  Worship  in  the  vernacular 
tongue.  2.  Marriage  of  bishops  and  of  secular  clergy, 
but  not  of  monks  and  nuns.  3.  The  abolition  of  auricu- 
lar confession  in  Germany  and  other  protestant  countries, 
except  Spain  and  Italy,  where  for  certain  reasons,  it  was 
held  necessary.  4.  Every  one  to  be  at  liberty  to  pray 
to  the  saints  or  not.  5.  Purgatory  no  longer  to  be  an 
article  of  faith.  6.  Communion  in  both  kinds  to  be  al- 
lowed. 7.  The  pope  no  longer  to  be  regarded  as  uni- 
versal judge,  but  only  as  the  first  priest  or  bishop  of  the 
church.  Difficult  questions  of  conscience  are  to  be  laid 
before  him,  but  none  shall  be  compelled  to  follow  his  de- 
cisions. 8.  Christians  hereafter  to  be  divided  into  two 
classes,  viz.,  ancient  catholics,  and  reformed  catholics, 
who  should  regard  each  other  as  brethren.  Cardi- 
nals to  be  taken  equally  from  both  classes.  These 
propositions  were  plausible,  and  could  any  expectation 
have  been  entertained  that  the  papists  would  adhere  to 
them,  the  case  would  have  been  different.  But  as  no 
confidence  could  be  placed  in  the  declarations,  professions 
or  engagements  of  papists,  the  protestants  rejected  the 
proposals.     But  the  question  here  is,  how  could  papists, 

13 


146  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

with  any  consistency  or  honesty  make  such  proposals  t 
If  the  things  which  they  proposed  to  concede  were 
wrong,  they  ought  of  course  to  be  abandoned,  whether 
protestants  would  concede  any  thing  or  not.  And  if 
these  things  were  right,  and  as  the  papists  profess  to 
consider  them,  essential  truths,  the  denial  of  which  is 
damnable  heresy,  how  could  they,  in  any  conscience^ 
compromise  them.  The  very  things  which  they  offer  lo 
concede,  are  the  things  for  the  denial  of  which,  heretics 
(as  they  call  them)  have  been  burnt  by  hundreds.  Take 
the  doctrine  of  purgatory  for  example.  It  is  either  true 
in  the  estimation  of  papists,  or  it  is  not.  If  it  is  true 
and  matter  of  their  sincere  belief,  how  can  they  agree 
that  it  shall  no  more  be  a  doctrine  of  their  creed?  And 
if  it  be  not  true  in  their  estimation,  how  can  they  teach  it 
and  make  it  an  essential  article  of  belief?  Here  is  a 
dilemma,  and  take  hold  of  which  horn  they  please  the 
papists  are  lacerated.  So  of  the  marriage  of  priests.  It  is 
either  wrong  or  it  is  not.  If  it  be  wrong,  how  could 
they  concede  to  practice  and  countenance  that  which  is 
wrong  ?  And  if  it  be  not  wrong  how  dare  they  forbid 
it,  and  pronounce  those  accursed  who  practice  it  ?  In  a 
word,  is  it  not  perfectly  manifest,  from  these  proposals, 
that  papists,  at  least  their  leaders  and  teachers,  have  no 
confidence  in  their  own  system  ;  that  they  consider  it  a 
mere  pageant,  to  answer  temporal  and  political  purposes, 
a  mere  nose  of  wax,  to  be  moulded  and  shaped  as  cir- 
cumstances require  ? 

In  the  preceding  century  a  violent  contest  had  arisen 
concerning  divine  grace  in  the  salvation  of  men.  Lewis 
Molina,  a  Spanish  Jesuit,  in  a  book  which  he  published 
on  the  union  of  grace  and  free  will,  endeavored  to  clear 
up,  in  a  new  manner,  the  difficulties  in  the  doctrines  con- 
cerning grace,  predestination,  and  free  will,  and  in  some 
sort  to  reconcile  the  discordant  opinions  of  Augustine, 
Thomas  Aquinas,  the  semi-Pelagians  and  others.  The 
fundamental  principles  of  the  work  of  Molina  are  thus 


HISTORY    or    POPERY.  147 

Stated.    1.  A  reason  or  ground  of  God's  predestination  is 
to  be  found  in  man's  right  use  of  his  free  will.     2.  That 
the  grace  of  God,  which  is  bestowed  to  enable  men  to 
persevere  in  religion,   may  become  the  gift  of  perse- 
verance, it  is  necessary  that  they  be  foreseen  as  consent- 
ing and  co-operating  Avith  the  divine  assistance  offered 
them,  which  is  a  thing  within  their  power.     3.  There 
is  a  mediate  prescience  (scientia  media)  which  is  neither 
the  free  nor  the  natural  knowledge  of  God,  and  by  which 
he  knows  future  contingent  events,  before  he  forms  his 
decree.     Molina  divided  the  knowledge  of  God  into  na- 
tural, free  and  mediate,  according  to  the  objects  of  it. 
What  he  himself  effects  or  brings  to  pass  by  his  own  im- 
mediate power,  or  by  means  of  second  causes,  he  knows 
naturally.     What  depends  on  his  own  free  will,  or  what 
he  himself  shall  freely  choose  or  purpose,  he  knows 
freely.     But  what  depends  on  the  voluntary  actions  of 
his  creatures,  that  is,  future  contingences,  he  does  not 
know   in   either    of  the  above   senses,  but  only   medi- 
ately, by  knowing  all  the  circumstances  in  which  those 
free   agents  will  be  placed,  what  motives  will  be  pre- 
sented to  their  minds,  and  thus  inferring  how  they  will 
act  and  what  they  will  do.     This  he  calls  God's  scientia 
media,  on  which  he  forms  his  decrees  and  election.     4. 
Predestination  may  be  considered  as  either  general  or 
particular.     General,  when  it  relates  to  whole  classes  of 
persons ;  particular,  when  it  relates  to  individuals.     In 
general    predestination,  there  is  no   reason   or  ground 
of  it  beyond  the  mere  good  pleasure  of  God,  or  none  on 
the  part  of  the  persons  predestinated.     But  in  particular 
predestination,  there  is  a  cause  or  ground  of  it,  in  the 
foreseen  good  use  of  free  will.     Thus  it  appears  that 
Molina  embraced  the  leading  principles  of  the  semi-Pe- 
lagians, or  the  Arminians.     And  his  scientia  media,  was 
only  a  new  name  for  an  old  error,  which  makes  God  a 
mere  spectator  of  his  works  and  creatures.     After  some 
years  of  consultation,  and  attention  to  the  arguments  of 


148  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

the  Dominicans  and  Jesuits  on  these  subjects,  the  board 
of  select  theologians,  to  which  the  decision  was  committed, 
signified  to  the  pope,  not  at  all  obscurely,  that  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Dominicans,  respecting  grace,  predestination, 
man's  ability  to  do  good,  and  the  inherent  corruption  of 
our  nature,  were  more  consonant  with  the  holy  scriptures 
and  the  opinions  of  the  fathers,  than  those  of  Molina, 
whom  the  Jesuits  supported ;  that  the  former  accorded 
with  the  sentiments  of  Augustine,  the  latter  came  near  to 
those  of  Pelagius,  which  had  been  condemned.     And,  in 
the  year  1601,  the  pope  seemed  ready  to  pronounce  sen- 
tence in  favor  of  the  Dominicans.     But  the  Jesuits,  who 
perceived  their  cause  to  be  in  imminent  peril,  so  harassed 
the  aged  pope,  sometimes  with  threats,  sometimes  with 
complaints,  and  sometimes  with  arguments,  that  the  next 
year  he  resolved  to  give  the  subject  a  re-hearing,  and  to 
assume  himself  the  office  of  judge.     For  three  years  the 
pope  presided  over  this  trial,  having  for  assessors,  fifteen 
cardinals,  nine  theologians,  and  five  bishops,  and  he  held 
seventy-eight  sessions,  or  congregations,  as  they  were 
called,  at  Rome,  in  which  he  listened  to  the  arguments 
of  the  parties,  and  caused  them  to  be  carefully  weighed. 
To  what  result  he  came  is  uncertain,  for  he  was  cut  off 
by  death  when  about  to  pronounce  sentence.      But  the 
divisions,  thus  about  to  be  healed,  were  torn  open  again, 
when  in  1640,    a  book  of  Cornelius  Jansenius  was  pub- 
lished under  the  title  of  Agustinus.     In  this  book,  the 
author  of  which  is  allowed,  even  by  the  Jesuits  them- 
selves, to  have  been  a  man  of  solid  learning,  and  appa- 
rently devout,  the  opinions  of  Augustine,  respecting  the 
native  depravity  of  man,  and  the  nature  and  influence  of 
that  grace  by  which  only  this  depravity  can  be  cured, 
are  stated  and  explained,  and  for  the  most  part,  in  the 
very  words  of  Augustine.     For  it  was  not  the  object  of 
Jansenius,  as  he  informs  us,  to  show  what  ought  to  be 
believed  on  these  subjects,  so  much  as  to  show  what  Au- 
gustine thought.     But  as  the  doctrines  of  Augustine  dif- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  149 

fered  but  little  from  those  of  Thomas  Aquinas,  which 
were  embraced  by  the  Dominicans,  and  were  accounted 
almost  sacred  and  divine  among  papists,  on  account  of 
the  high  merits  of  the  author,  and  at  the  same  time  were 
almost  totally  opposed  to  the  common  sentiments  of  the 
Jesuits  ;  this  work  of  Jansenius  could  not  but  appear  to 
them  as  a  silent,  but  most  effectual  confutation  of  their 
sentiments.  Hence  the  Jesuits  soon  took  the  alarm,  and 
attacked  the  new  publication  without  mercy.  They  also 
endeavored  to  instigate  the  pope  against  it.  The  alarm- 
ing book  soon  felt  the  weight  of  Jesuistical  influence. 
First  the  inquisition  took  it  in  hand,  and  prohibited  its 
being  read.  Then  the  pope  issued  his  condemnatory' 
sentence.  But  these  things  on  the  part  of  the  Jesuits  did 
not  pass  without  observation  and  resistance.  The  doc- 
tors of  Lou  vain,  and  the  numerous  admirers  of  Augustine 
in  the  low  countries,  opened  the  opposition.  Speedily  it 
spread  into  France,  where  many  of  the  able  and  devoted 
men  were  strongly  enlisted  on  the  side  of  the  Augusti- 
nian  creed,  and  were  of  course  the  advocates  of  Jansenius. 
Especially  was  John  du  Verger  de  Hauranne,  an  inti- 
mate friend  of  Jansenius,  and  a  man  of  an  accomplished 
and  elegant  mind,  and  no  less  respected  by  the  purity  of 
his  morals  and  the  sanctity  of  his  life,  than  for  his  erudi- 
tion, considered  the  champion  of  the  Jansenian  system. 
This  man  had  inspired  a  number  around  him  with  an 
attachment  to  Augustine,  and  an  abhorrence  of  the  Je- 
suits. And  though  the  Jesuits  could  .boast  the  greatest 
numbers,  their  opponents  had  the  decided  advantage  in 
talents  and  piety.  Thus  commenced  the  great  contro- 
versy of  the  seventeenth  century,  between  the  Jesuits  and 
the  Jansenists,  which  continued  with  great  efforts  for  a 
century  and  more. 

In  the  eighteenth  century,  the  papists  propagated  the 
Christian  name  in  different  parts  of  the  world.  The 
Christian  name — not  the  Christian  religion.  For  it  is 
evident  that  most  of  those  whom  the  papal  missionaries 

13* 


150  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

persuaded  to  forsake  idolatry,  are  Christians  only  in 
name,  and  in  respect  to  certain  forms  and  ceremonies. 
They  never  quit  their  superstition,  but  only  exchange  one 
form  of  it  for  another.  Large  congregations  of  such  nomi- 
nal Christians  were  gathered  in  the  East  Indies,  espe- 
cially in  the  kingdom  of  the  Carnatic,  Madura,  on  the 
coast  of  Malabar  and  in  China,  Tonquin,  and  other  dis- 
tant regions.  But  these  missionaries,  so  far  from  effacing 
the  former  stain  upon  the  character  of  the  Jesuit  preach- 
ers, rather  deepened  it.  For  they  are  represented  as 
seeking  their  own  honor  and  emolument,  rather  than  the 
interests  of  Christ,  and  as  ingeniously  corrupting  the 
holy  religion  of  the  Saviour  to  obtain  the  more  proselytes. 
The  famous  question,  whether  the  Jesuit  missionaries 
in  China  acted  consistently  among  that  people,  so  ex- 
ceedingly attached  to  their  ancient  customs,  was  decided 
in  the  commencement  of  this  century,  in  a  manner  ad- 
verse to  the  Jesuits.  For  the  pope  declared  it  criminal 
ibr  the  new  converts  to  practice  the  rites  of  their  pagan 
ancestors ;  especially  those  rites  by  which  the  Chinese 
do  homage  to  their  ancestors  and  to  Confucius.  At 
least  this  was  the  decision  of  the  pope  at  first.  But  with 
h  at  consistency  and  uniformity  for  which  popery  is  re- 
markable, he  afterwards  altered  and  mitigated  this  de- 
cision to  satisfy  the  Jesuits,  till  it  was  nearly  abolished. 
The  final  decision  was,  that  the  teachers  of  the  Chinese 
were  allowed  to  designate  the  divine  nature  by  the  word 
Vien,  provided  they  added  the  word  Tchu,  to  remove  the 
ambiguity  of  the  former  term.  Thus  it  would  stand,  the 
Lord  of  heaven,  and  not  heaven  itself.  The  pope  also 
allowed  those  rites  to  be  practiced  which  gave  so  much 
offence  to  the  adversaries  oftheJesuits,provided  all  super- 
stition and  appearance  of  religion  were  avoided.  Which  is 
the  same  as  to  say  they  might  be  idolaters,  if  they  would 
avoid  all  idolatry.  This  paradox,  the  Chinese  converts 
would  of  course  interpret  according  to  their  own  inclina- 
tions.    The  Chinese  converts,  therefore,  feel  themselves 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  151 

allowed  to  keep  in  their  houses  tablets  on  which  are 
written,  in  gold  letters,  the  names  of  their  ancestors  and 
of  Confucius.  They  may  lawfully  honor  them  with 
lighted  candles,  with  incense,  and  with  tables  set  out 
with  all  manner  of  spices,  fruit,  and  viands.  They  may 
address  these  tablets,  and  the  graves  of  their  ancestors  as 
suppliants,  prostrating  themselves  on  the  ground,  and  yet 
be  good  and  consistent  papists.  Such  was  the  decision 
of  the  pope  in  the  case. 

The  reconciliation  of  protestants  to  papists  seems,  in 
this  century,  to  have  been  abandoned.  Former  attempts 
of  this  kind  were  made  chiefly  on  the  ground  of  ex- 
plaining away  or  softening  down  the  most  offensive 
doctrines  of  popery.  But  pope  Clement  XI.  deprived 
the  peace-makers  of  this  subterfuge  by  publishing  that 
famous  decree,  called  Bull  Unigenitus.  This  decree 
shows  most  clearly,  that  on  most  of  the  points  which 
compelled  the  protestants  to  separate  from  popery,  it  re- 
mains the  same  that  it  has  been,  and  that  thus  it  must  be 
expected  to  remain.  This  disclosure  being  made,  it  be- 
came manifest,  that  those  who  had  formerly  offered  peace 
on  very  easy  and  conciliatory  terms,  had  only  spread  a 
net  by  their  pretended  expositions  of  the  papal  faith,  and 
that  no  confidence  at  all  was  to  be  reposed  in  the  word 
of  such  men. 

The  intestine  discords  which  greatly  disquieted  the 
papal  community  in  the  preceding  century,  so  far  from 
being  composed  and  healed,  were  in  this  century  revived 
with  new  strength,  and  urged  with  greater  animosity. 
The  Jesuits  still  contended  with  the  Dominicans  and 
others,  though  more  covertly,  and  with  more  external 
decorum.  The  Franciscans,  also,  and  the  Dominicans, 
continued  at  variance.  But  the  principal  controversy 
which  shook  the  papal  empire,  was  that  of  the  Jansenists 
with  the  Jesuits.  Of  the  former  party,  Q,uesnel  was  the 
chief  advocate.  He  translated  the  New  Testament  into 
French,  and  accompanied  it  with  notes  which  were  cal- 


152  HISTORY    OF    POPERV. 

culated  to  awaken  a  sense  of  religion.  To  destroy  the 
influence  of  this  formidable  enemy,  the  Jesuits  besought 
the  king  of  France  to  solicit  its  condemnation  by  the  pope. 
The  pope  was  obsequious  to  the  French  king,  and  issued 
the  Bull  Unigenitus  already  mentioned.  The  most 
violent  contests  w^ere  produced  by  this  unhappy  edict. 
Many  of  the  bishops,  and  a  vast  number  of  influential 
and  learned  men,  both  among  the  clergy  and  laity,  ap- 
pealed from  it  to  a  future  general  council.  Especially 
the  archbishop  of  Paris  manfully  opposed  it,  regardless 
of  the  resentment  both  of  the  pope  and  the  king.  The 
popes,  kings,  and  Jesuits,  labored  incessantly  to  prostrate 
these  strenuous  defenders  of  the  religion  of  their  fathers. 
They  were  visited  with  all  manner  of  punishments  and 
indignities,  until  they  were  at  length  in  a  measure  over- 
come. Many  became  exiles,  and  retired  to  Holland ; 
others  were  overawed  to  approve  of  the  papal  bull ;  and 
others,  being  deprived  of  their  livings,  their  honors,  and 
their  offices,  removed  to  foreign  countries.  The  victory 
of  the  Jesuits  was  so  complete,  that  this  papal  bull  was 
finally  declared  to  be  the  law  of  the  land.  Amidst  these 
calamities,  the  Jansenists  had  two  resorts  for  supporting 
their  €ause  against  their  enemies,  viz.,  the  press  and  mi- 
racles. They  did  not  fail  to  pour  upon  the  pope  and  the 
Jesuits  the  influence  of  the  press.  Their  publications 
were  written  with  ability  and  elegance,  and  produced  a 
powerful  effect.  And  when  human  strength  failed,  they 
called  in  divine  aid  in  the  form  of  miracles.  They  per- 
suaded the  people  that  God  had  imparted  to  the  bones  and 
ashes  of  certain  persons  distinguished  for  their  zeal  in 
the  cause  of  Jansenism,  and  who  had  appealed  anew,  in 
their  last  moments,  to  a  general  council,  the  power  of 
healing  the  most  inveterate  diseases.  Among  those  who 
had  attained  to  this  glory,  the  most  distinguished  was 
Francis  de  Paris,  a  deacon  of  the  church  in  Paris,  a 
man  of  noble  birth,  but  of  gloomy  temperament,  and  ex- 
cessive superstition,  and  one  who  had  brought  on  his  own 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  153 

death  by  refusing  food.  To  miracles,  divine  visions  were 
superadded.  Many  persons,  especially  at  Paris,  pre- 
tended to  be  influenced  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  uttered 
predictions,  often  of  the  most  ridiculous  kind,  by  which, 
nevertheless,  the  multitude,  as  usual,  was  vastly  affected. 
These  events  may  serve  to  illustrate  that  unity  and  uni- 
formity of  popery  which  is  so  much  boasted  of  by  her 
advocates,  and  may  show  on  how  little  of  truth  their 
statements  and  pretensions  are  founded.  Thus  concludes 
the  regular  historical  narrative  of  popery  from  its  origin 
to  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century.  Thus  have  we 
seen  the  rise,  progress,  maturity,  and  fruits  of  this  mys- 
tery of  iniquity,  this  scourge  of  the  human  race.  It 
arose  from  temporal  prosperity,  was  fostered  by  earthly 
possessions,  and  is  consummated  in  sensual  gratifications. 


SECTION   VI. 

DOCTRINES    OF    POPERY. 

The  propeT  source  to  which  to  resort  for  correct  in- 
formation respecting  the  doctrines  of  popery,  is  found  in 
the  decrees  of  the  council  of  Trent.  At  the  diet  of  Spise, 
held  in  1542,  it  was  agreed  that  a  council  should  be 
holden  in  the  city  of  Trent.  A  bull  was  accordingly 
issued,  summoning  the  prelates  of  the  Christian  world  to 
convene  at  Trent  the  following  November.  But.circum- 
stances  were  adverse,  the  council  failed  to  convene  at  the 
time  appointed,  and  was  postponed.  At  the  diet  two 
years  after,  the  affairs  of  religion  were  seriously  dis- 
cussed, and  a  general  council,  as  the  only  measure  cal- 
culated to  answer  the  exigencies  of  the  times,  was  again 
urged.  Nothing  could  exceed  the  grief  of  the  pope  on 
this  occasion.  That  any  thing  like  equality  of  rights 
should  be  granted  to  heretics,  and  that  a  German  diet 
should  presume  to  legislate  in  regard  to  religious  mat- 


154  HISTORY    OP    POPERY. 

ters,  without  the  concurrence  of  the  pope,  the  head  of  the 
church,  was  an  intolerable  innovation.  In  a  long  and 
indignant  letter,  his  holiness  the  pope  reproaches  the 
emperor  with  this  conduct.  He  complained  "  that  lay- 
men and  even  heretics  had  been  permitted  to  meddle  with 
spiritual  things,  the  exclusive  province  of  the  priesthood, 
and  that  in  referring  their  disputes  and  grievances  to  a 
council,  they  had  not  so  much  as  mentioned  the  successor 
of  St.  Peter,  to  whom  only  the  right  of  convening  such 
an  assembly  belonged.  It  resembled  the  sin  of  Uzzah, 
Dathan,  Abiram,  Korah,  and  Uzziah.  The  judgments 
of  God  would  fall  upon  him  unless  he  revoked  the  de- 
cree. By  such  conduct  he  had  not  only  endangered  the 
peace  and  unity  of  the  church,  but  also  exposed  his  soul's 
salvation  to  imminent  peril."  So  unwilling  was  the  pope 
to  have  any  council  called,  or  the  affairs  and  doctrines  of 
the  church  subjected  to  any  scrutiny.  But  when  the 
emperor  and  the  king  of  France  made  peace,  and  the 
subject  of  a  general  council  began  again  to  press,  and 
became  unavoidable,  the  pope,  to  make  a  virtue  of  neces- 
sity, did  not  wait  for  a  request  which  was  coming,  but 
issued  a  bull  summoning  the  princes  and  prelates  of  Eu- 
rope to  meet  in  general  council  at  Trent,  March  15,  1545. 
Many  expectations  were  raised  on  this  occasion.  The 
reformed  churches,  indeed,  could  not  hope  for  much  from 
a  council.  They  saw  the  corruptions  of  popery  to  be 
too  deeply  seated  to  be  removed  by  such  a  superficial 
application.  They  therefore  did  not  calculate  much  on 
the  effects  of  this  movement,  and  they  were  not  disap- 
pointed. It  turned  out  to  be  a  manoeuvre  of  popery. 
But  those  who  had  been  less  observant  of  the  nature  of 
popery,  had  very  exalted  hopes  from  this  council.  The 
sovereigns  and  states  of  Europe  looked  to  this  assembly 
with  sanguine  expectations.  They  resolved  to  exert  all 
their  influence  to  procure  a  thorough  reformation  of 
abuses.  Then  they  expected  that  protestants  would 
<i;heerfully  return  to  the  bosom  of  the  church,  and  restore 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  156 

harmony.  The  different  orders  of  papal  priesthood  also 
hoped  to  have  their  respective  interests  placed  on  a  better 
foundation.  But  the  pope  had  very  different  views  from 
all  these.  Having  been  compelled  by  circumstances  to 
call  this  council,  he  now  was  intent  to  find  the  means  of 
managfing"  it  to  his  own  mind.  He  resolved  to  concede 
nothing,  and  to  permit  no  change,  unless  for  the  advance- 
ment of  his  own  power  and  affluence.  Protestants,  pre- 
lates, princes,  and  kingdoms,  must  all  be  duped  and  cir- 
cumvented, and  they  were  completely. 

The  beginning  of  the  pope's  management  in  the  coun- 
cil was  the  appointment  of  three  of  his  own  legates  to 
preside.  They  were  furnished  with  a  secret  bull  to 
remove  the  council  to  any  other  place  whenever  they 
should  find  occasion.  On  the  13th  of  December,  1545, 
the  council  of  Trent  was  opened  with  all  due  solemnity. 
The  pope,  to  secure  a  commanding  influence  in  the  coun- 
cil, and  to  prevent  all  intermeddling  with  his  prerogative, 
appointed  a  congregation  or  committee  of  cardinals  to 
superintend  the  affairs  of  the  council,  to  watch  its  pro- 
ceedings, and  to  aid  him  with  their  advice.  The  legates 
of  the  pope  were  instructed  to  begin  with  the  discussion 
of  disputed  doctrines,  and  to  put  off  the  reformation  of 
abuses,  as  a  matter  of  secondary  importance.  Notes 
were  to  be  taken  and  transmitted  to  him  of  any  remarks 
or  allusions  touching  his  court,  the  reform  of  which  he 
claimed  for  himself.  To  all  letters  and  documents  his 
own  name,  and  those  of  the  legates  were  to  be  prefixed, 
that  it  might  appear  that  he  was  not  only  the  author,  but 
the  head  and  ruler  of  the  council.  He  also  appointed  the 
secretary,  and  other  necessary  officers,  without  consulting 
the  members  of  the  council,  or  permitting  them  to  exer- 
cise their  right  of  election. 

The  Council  of  Trent,  therefore,  was  wholly  under 
popish  influence,  and  the  foregoing  circumstances  have 
been  recited  to  show  this  fact,  and  that  consequently  the 
decrees  of  this  council  are  to  be  received  as  the  accre- 


156  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

dited  sentiments  and  belief  of  papists  universally.  The 
Protestants  who  were  invited  to  this  council  early  per- 
ceived the  situation  of  things,  and  retired  from  the 
council,  or  declined  attending,  and  protested  against  its 
authority  as  a  general  council,  representing  the  universal 
church.  The  papists,  therefore,  had  no  obstacle  thrown. 
in  their  way,  and  they  proceeded  to  set  forth  their  doc- 
trinal sentiments  in  the  following  manner,  viz  : 

1.  The  Scriptures  as  a  rule  of  faith. 

In  the  debate  which  occurred  in  the  council  on  this 
point,  one  of  the  papists  did  not  hesitate  to  say,  that  the 
scholastic  divines  had  so  well  expounded  the  doctrines  of 
Christianity,  that  it  was  no  longer  necessary  to  take 
them  from  the  sacred  volume  ;  and  that  though  the 
Scriptures  were  formerly  read  in  the  churches  for  the 
instruction  of  the  people,  they  were  now  only  used  in 
the  devotional  exercises  of  public  worship,  and  ought  to 
be  confined  to  that  use  ;  and  that  at  any  rate,  the  study  of 
Scripture  ought  to  be  prohibited  to  all  who  were  not 
versed  in  scholastic  divinity.  For  the  Lutherans,  he 
said,  had  succeeded  only  with  those  who  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  read  the  Scriptures.  The  decision  of  the  coun- 
cil on  this  subject,  was,  as  might  have  been  expected,  not 
in  favor  of  free  inquiry.  The  decree  was  divided  into 
two  parts.  The  first  part,  after  placing  oral  tradition  on 
the  same  level  with  the  written  word,  in  the  following 
terms  :  "  Perceiving  that  this  truth,  (i.  e.  revealed  truth,) 
and  discipline  are  contained  both  in  written  books,  and 
unwritten  traditions,  which  have  come  down  to  us,  either 
received  by  the  apostles  from  the  lips  of  Christ  himself, 
or  transmitted  by  the  hands  of  the  same  apostles,  under 
the  dictation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  following  the  example  of 
the  orthodox  fathers,  this  council  doth  receive  and  reve- 
rence with  equal  piety  and  veneration,  all  the  books,  as 
well  of  the  old  as  of  the  new  testament,  the  same  God 
being  the  author  of  both ;  and  also  the  aforesaid  tradi- 
tions, pertaining  both   to   faith   and  manners,  whether 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  157 

received  from  Christ  himself,  or  dictated  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  preserved  in  the  catholic  church  by  continual 
succession  ;"  and  after  having  enumerated  the  canonical 
books  of  the  scriptures,  including  the  apocrypha,  con- 
tains the  following  denunciation  :  "  Whoever  shall  not 
receive  as  sacred  and  canonical,  all  these  books  and  every 
part  of  them,  as  they  are  commonly  read  in  the  catholic 
church,  and  are  contained  in  the  old  vulgate  Latin 
edition,  or  shall  knowingly  and  deliberately  despise  the 
aforesaid  traditions,  let  him  be  accursed."  The  second 
part  of  the  decree  relates  to  the  right  of  interpreting  the 
scriptures,  and  of  printing  and  circulating  the  sacred 
books,  and  is  as  follows  :  "  In  order  to  restrain  petulent 
minds,  the  council  further  decrees,  that  in  matters  of 
faith  and  morals,  and  whatever  relates  to  the  maintenance 
of  Christian  doctrine,  no  one,  confiding  in  his  own  judg- 
ment, shall  dare  to  wrest  (i.  e.\to  interpret)  the  sacred 
scriptures  to  his  own  sense  of  them,  contrary  to  that 
which  has  been  held,  and  still  is  held  by  holy  mother 
church,  whose  right  it  is  to  judge  of  the  true  meaning 
and  interpretation  of  sacred  writ,  or  contrary  to  the 
unanimous  consent  of  the  fathers  ;  even  thousfh  such 
interpretations  should  never  be  published.  If  any  dis- 
obey, let  them  be  denounced  by  the  ordinaries,  and 
punished  according  to  law.  Being  desirous  also,  as  is 
reasonable,  of  setting  bounds  to  the  printers,  who,  with 
unlimited  boldness,  supposing  themselves  at  liberty  to 
do  as  they  please,  print  editions  of  the  holy  scriptures, 
with  notes  and  expositions  taken  indifferently  from  any 
writer,  without  the  permission  of  their  ecclesiastical  su- 
periors, and  that  at  a  concealed  and  falsely  designated 
press,  and,  which  is  worse,  without  the  name  of  the 
author — and  also  rashly  expose  books  of  this  nature  to 
sale  in  other  countries  ;  the  holy  council  decrees  and 
ordains,  that  for  the  future,  the  sacred  scriptures,  and  es- 
pecially the  old  vulgate  edition,  shall  be  printed  in  the 
most  correct  manner  possible  ;  and  no  one  shall  he  per- 

14 


158  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

mitted  to  print  or  cause  to  be  printed,  any  books  relating 
to  religion  without  the  name  of  the  author.  Neither 
shall  any  one  hereafter  sell  such  books,  or  even  retain 
them  in  his  possession,  unless  they  have  been  first 
examined  and  approved  by  the  ordinary,  under  penalty 
of  anathema,  and  the  pecuniary  fine  adjudged  by  the  last 
council  of  lateran.  Those  who  circulate  such  books  in 
manuscript,  without  being  examined  and  approved,  shall 
be  liable  to  the  same  pienalty  as  printers,  and  those  who 
possess  or  read  them,  unless  they  declare  the  authors  of 
them,  shall  themselves  be  considered  as  the  authors." 

The  foregoing  decrees  of  the  council  were  received 
by  the  protestants  with  undissembled  grief  and  indigna- 
tion. They  were  greatly  offended  at  the  presumption  of 
a  council  so  inconsiderable  in  numbers,  and  containing 
so  few  men  of  talent  and  learning.  To  place  tradition 
on  an  equality  with  scripture,  was  in  their  view  an  act  of 
daring  impiety.  They  were  also  surprised  to  hear  that 
several  books,  such  as  the  apocrypha,  which  had  ever 
been  regarded,  at  best,  as  of  doubtful  authority,  and  had 
only  received  the  sanction  of  some  provincial  councils, 
land  of  two  or  three  popes,  should  now,  without  adequate 
examination,  be  ranked  among  the  acknowledged  writings 
of  inspired  men,  and  constituted  portions  of  the  sacred 
volume.  Great  astonishment  also  was  excited  too,  at  the 
decision  respecting  the  vulgate ;  in  which  decision  that 
translation,  though  confessed  to  abound  with  errors,  was 
made  the  authoritative  and  sole  standard  of  faith  and 
morals,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  Greek  and  Hebrew  scrip- 
tures. It  appears,  indeed,  sufficiently  evident,  that 
papists  have  a  great  dread  of  the  word  of  God,  as  it 
stands  on  the  pages  of  inspiration  ;  for  they  have  taken 
great  pains  to  fence  it  in  so  that  no  harm  shall  come 
from  it.  In  the  first  place  they  adopt  the  vulgate,  which 
is  a  Latin  translation  made  by  Jerome,  and  which  is  far 
from  correct.  This,  because  it  suits  their  purpose  best, 
they  declare  to  be  the  bible.     And  they  add  to  this  the 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  169 

apocrypha,  for  the  translator  of  the  vulgate  declares  them 
not  to  belong  to  inspired  books.  Then  they  place  the 
printing  and  distribution  of  this  bible  of  their  own  adop- 
tion under  the  eye  of  superiors  and  ordinaries,  who  are 
to  examine  and  license.  And  after  all,  no  man  must 
read  even  this  bible  and  understand  it  for  himself.  He 
must  still  go  to  tradition  and  the  holy  mother  church, 
that  is,  to  the  crafty  priesthood,  to  know  what  meaning 
10  give  the  sacred  writings.  •  And  as  the  meaning  is  the 
thing  and  the  whole  of  it,  the  result  of  the  whole  is,  that 
the  papist,  though  he  may  have  a  bible  and  read  it,  so  far 
as  the  book  and  the  words  are  concerned,  must  still  go 
to  his  priest  for  the  sense.  Jn  effect,  then,  he  goes  to  his 
priest  for  his  bible.  Surely,  no  wild  beast  of  prey  w^as 
ever  better  guarded  with  bolts  and  bars,  than  is  the  bible 
among  papists.  And  yet  after  all  this  caution,  the  papists 
find  it  most  safe,  as  we  shall  presently  see,  to  keep  the 
bible,  in  every  form,  as  much  as  possible  from  the  hands 
of  the  people.  But  tradition,  we  see,  has  an  important 
place  in  the  decree  of  Trent.  And  well  it  may,  for  this 
tradition  is  of  no  small  consequence  to  the  papist.  It  is 
a  kind  of  magic  wand,,  by  which  he  instantly  sweeps 
away  all  evidence,  argument,  or  objection.  Where  the 
scripture  is  silent,  tradition  comes  in  to  fill  the  space. 
Say  of  any  superstition,  this  is  not  authorized  by  the 
word  of  God,  and  the  papist  at  once  replies,  it  is  tradi- 
tion received  from  the  'apostles.  This  any  one  can  say, 
though  no  one  can  prove  it.  This,  as  all  discerning 
minds  will  perceive,  is  a  crafty  device,  by  which  the  au- 
thority of  scripture  is  absolutely  nullified.  The  ancient 
scribes  and  pharisees  made  void  the  law  of  God  by  their 
traditions,  and  they  went  on  the  same  ground  precisely 
with  the  papist.  They  taught  that  the  written  word  must 
be  interpreted  according  to  tradition.  In  other  words, 
tradition  is  the  oracle,  the  final  tribunal.  Who  does  not 
see,  that  it  were  easy  to  invent  and  propagate  vain  tradi- 
tions suited  to  any  occasion  ?     And  who  does  not  know 


160  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

that  no  credit  is  due  to  tradition  coming  down  through 
many  generations,  with  no  voucher  for  its  authenticity, 
but  the  treacherous  memory  of  men,  even  if  they  de- 
signed to  be  honest.  Any  one,  then,,  who  gives  heed 
to  these  fables  as  his  guide  in  spiritual  things,  must  be 
out  of  all  love  for  the  truth,  and  regard  to  his  own  im- 
morty  interests. 

But  the  papists  not  only  garble  and  coerce  the  scrip- 
tures by  their  incorrect  versions,  and  the  supervision  of 
priests  and  tradition ;  they  are  averse  to  the  circulation 
or  reading  of  the  scriptures  in  any  shape  or  manner. 
They  regard  the  study  of  the  scriptures  as  a  kind  of 
moral  pestilence,  which  threatens  destruction  to  their 
whole  system.  A  genuine  papist  would  as  soon  take  up 
a  serpent  as  a  bible,  and  he  would  as  soon  swallow  poison 
as  to  read  or  hear  it.  A  few  facts  on  this  point  may  be 
seasonable. 

Concerning  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
whose  object  was  to  circulate  the  holy  scriptures  without 
note  or  comment,  pope  Pius  VII.,  in  the  year  1816, 
says,  "  It  is  a  crafty  device,  by  which  the  very  founda- 
tions of  religion,  (i.  e.  popery)  are  undermined.  A  pes- 
tilence and  defilement  of  the  faith  most  dangerous  to 
souls."  Leo  XII.,  in  1824,  speaking  of  the  same  insti- 
tution, says,  "  It  stroles  Avith  effrontery  through  the  world, 
contemning  the  traditions  of  the  holy  fathers,  and,  con- 
trary to  the  well  known  decrees  of  the  council  of  Trent, 
labors  with  aU  its  might,  and  by  every  means,  to  trans- 
late, or  rather  to  pervert  the  holy  bible  into  the  vulgar 
languages  of  all  nations.  From  which  proceeding  it  is 
greatly  to  be  feared,  that  what  is  ascertained  to  have  hap^ 
pened  to  some  passages,  may  also  occur  with  regard  to 
others ;  to  wit,  that  by  a  perverse  interpretation,  the 
gospel  of  Christ  be  turned  into  a  human  gospel,  or  what 
is  still  worse,  into  the  gospel  of  the  devil."  The  popish 
priests  in  Ireland,  to  whom  this  was  written,  publicly 
avowed  their  full  concurrence  with  these  views  of  the 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  161^ 

pope,  and  charged  their  flocks  to  surrender  to  the  parish 
priests  all  copies  of  the  scriptures  received  from  bible 
societies,  as  well  as  all  publications  disseminated  by  the 
religious  tract  society.  These  are  late  transactions.  And 
if  we  go  farther  back  in  the  course  of  events,  we  find  the 
case  no  better.  The  translation  of  the  New-Testament 
in  French,  by  Q,uesnel,  with  notes  and  moral  reflections, 
has  been  already  mentioned.  Against  this,  Clement 
XI.  launched  the  bull,  called  Unigenitus.  In  this  bull 
the  pope  condemns  certain  propositions  drawn  from  the 
above  book,  as  "false,  captious,  shocking,  offensive  to 
pious  ears,  scandalous,  rash,  pernicious,  seditious,  im- 
pious, blasphemous."  And  what- was  it,  the  reader  will 
be  ready  to  ask,  that  called  forth  this  wordy  flood  of  de- 
nunciation ?  Why,  father  Q,uesnel  presumes  to  say  that 
''  it  is  useful  and  necessary,  at  all  times,  in  all  places,  and 
for  all  sorts  of  people,  to  study  and  know  the  spirit, 
piety,  and  mysteries  of  the  holy  scripture.".  ''The 
reading  of  the  holy  scriptures  is  for  every  body."  "  The 
Lord's  day  ought  to  be  sanctified  by  Christians,  in 
reading  pious  books,  and  especially  in  reading  the  holy 
scriptures."  This,  in  the  view  of  the  pope,  was  the 
direful  heresy  of  the  French  father.  In  accordance 
with  this,  the  popish  vicars  apostolic  and  their  coadjutors 
in  Britain  thus  write  :  "  When  the  reading  and  circula- 
tion of  the  scriptures  are  urged  and  recommended  as 
the  entire  rule  of  faith,  as  the  sole  means  by  which  men 
are  brought  to  the  certain  and  specific  knowledge  of  the 
doctrines,  precepts,  and  institutions  of  Christ,  and  when 
the  scriptures,  so  read  and  circulated,  are  left  to  the  inter- 
pretation and  private  judgment  of  each  individual,  then 
such  reading,  circulation,  and  interpretation,  are  forbid- 
den by  the  catholic  church,  (i.  e.  popery)  because  the 
catholic  church  knows  that  the  circulation  of  the  scrip- 
tures, and  the  interpretation  of  them  by  each  one's 
private  judgment,  was  not  the  means  ordained  by  Christ 
for  the  communication  of  the  true  knowledge  of  his  law 

14* 


168  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

to  all  nations — she  knows  that  Christianity  was  esta- 
blished in  many  countries  before  one  book  of  the  new 
testament  was  written — that  it  was  not  by  means  of  the 
scriptures  that  the  apostles  converted  nations,  or  any  one 
nation  to  the  unity  of  the  Christian  faith — that  the  unau- 
thorized reading  and  circulation  of  the  scriptures,  and 
the  interpretation  of  them  by  private  judgment,  are  cal- 
culated to  lead  men  to  contradictory  doctrines  on  the 
primary  articles  of  Christian  belief ;  to  inconsistent  forms 
of  worship,  which  cannot  all  be  consistent  parts  of  the 
uniform  and  sublime  system  of  Christianity;  to  error 
and  fanaticism  in  religion  ;  to  sedition,  and  the  greatest 
disorders  in  states  and  kingdoms." 

In  regard  to  the  means  instituted  by  Christ  for  the 
promulgation  of  his  law  to  all  nations,  alluded  to  in  the 
above  communication,  it  may  be  remarked,  when  Christ 
said,  "  Go  ye  into  ail  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel 
to  every  creature,"  he  evidently  intended  they  should 
carry  the  gospel  with  them  in  some  form  as  a  common 
reference.      The  original  world  is  evangelize,  that  is, 
bring  all  nations  to  the  knowledge  and  obedience  of  the 
gospel,  so  far  as  you  can  do  it  as  instruments.     The  com- 
mission of  Christ  to  his  apostles  does  not  decide  whether 
this  shall  be  done  by  preaching,  or  by  circulating  th« 
scriptures  in  a  written  form.     Doubtless  it  includes  both 
methods.     Else  why  did  Christ  cause  his  gospel  to  be 
written?      Was  it  not  to  be  a  standing  record  of  the 
truth  to  which  all  concerned  might  refer?     And  if  so, 
do  not  those  to  whom  the  gospel  is  communicated,  and 
who  are  personally  interested  in  a  right  knowledge  of 
its  truths,  need  this  standard  ?     How  else  shall  they  be 
certified  that  the  gospel  is  preached  to  them  ?     The  cir- 
culation of  the  scriptures,  then,  in  a  written  form,  and 
the  translation  of  them  into  difierent  languages,  are  then 
a  part,  an  essential  part  of  the  means  instituted  by  Christ 
for  the  communication  of  the  true  knowledge  of  his  law 
to  all  nations.     To  say  that  Christianity  was  established 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  163 

in  many  countries  before  one  book  of  the  new  testament 
was  written,  and  to  apply  this  remark  as  an  argument  in 
force  now,  is  extremely  weak.  The  inspired  apostles 
who  received  the  truth  direct  from  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
who  attested  their  inspiration  by  miracles  and  prophecies, 
were  not  in  need  of  written  revelation.  But  what  does 
this  fact  avail  now,  when  we  have  no  inspired  men,  no 
miracles,  no  prophecy,  nothing  indeed  for  our  guide  but 
the  written  word?  But  why  is  it  here  said,  that  the 
reading  of  the  scriptures  is  calculated  to  lead  them  to 
contradictory  opinions  ?  How  is  it  calculated,  any  more 
than  any  other  subject  of  human  judgment  ?  The  state- 
ment ought  to  have  been  confined  to  the  simple  matter 
of  fact,  that  men  do  entertain  different  opinions  respecting 
the  meaning  of  the  scriptures,  and  on  religious  subjects. 
This  fact  results  from  their  different  feelings,  motives 
and  prejudices  in  reading  the  scriptures,  and  not  from 
any  tendency  in  the  scriptures  to  produce  this  diversity. 
A  standard  in  weight  or  measure,  as  before  remarked, 
may  be  erroneously  applied  through  the  negligence  or 
unskilfulness  of  the  agent,  and  in  different  cases,  may 
lead  to  different  results.  But  does  this  at  all  impair  the 
utility  of  such  a  standard,  or  show  that  it  is  calculated 
to  lead  men  to  contradictory  opinions  ?  Admitting  the 
fact  to  be  as  it  is,  that  there  are  various  and  discordant 
opinions  entertained  by  those  who  read  and  interpret 
the  scriptures  for  themselves,  or  judge  for  themselves  of 
a  correct  interpretation  ;  does  this  prove  that  the  bible  is 
a  dangerous  book  in  the  hands  of  men  ?  Men  must  be 
responsible  for  their  own  opinions  and  judgment,  as  they 
would  not  be,  if  they  had  no  correct  standard.  And 
what  is  the  remedy  which  popery  pr(»poses  for  this  sup- 
posed evil  ?  It  is,  that  the  pope  and  tradition  shall  tell 
men  what  the  bible  means,  in  other  words,  shall  give  a 
bible  to  men.  For  to  command  the  interpretation  is  to 
possess  the  key  of  knowledge,  and  in  effect  to  make  a 
bible.     The  question  then  is,  whether  men  shall  see  for 


164  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

themselves  the  book  of  God  and  judge  of  its  contents,  or 
g-o  to  the  pope  to  know  what  it  contains  ? 

Papists,  it  seems,  are  afraid  that  the  common  people 
will  corrupt  the  bible  by  reading  it,  and  render  the  gos- 
pel of  Christ  a  gospel  of  man,  if  not  of  the  devil.  But 
they  seem  to  have  no  fears  that  popes  and  priests,  and 
tradition,  will  corrupt  the  scriptures.  They  have  no  ap- 
prehensions that  the  devil  may  step  behind  the  curtain, 
at  the  Vatican,  and  give  responses  which  are  dangerous 
to  souls.  It  may  be  well,  therefore,  to  look  for  a  moment 
at  the  state  of  facts  on  this  point.  Mr.  Fisk,  an  Ameri- 
can missionary,  mentions  the  following  occurrence,  of 
which  he  had  personal  knowledge.  When  at  Alexan- 
dria, he  fell  in  company  with  a  popish  priest.  The 
priest  showed  him  a  popish  prayer-book  in  English,  and 
also  what  he  called  the  bible  in  Italian.  But  it  was  a 
history  of  the  bible,  written  with  omissions,  abreviations, 
and  comments.  There  is  a  similar  work  in  French 
called  the  "bible  Royeaumont,"  the  general  plan  of 
which  is  that  of  Jameson's  Sacred  History.  The  grand 
fault  respecting  these  books  is,  that  the  priests  give  them 
to  the  people  as  the  bible,  and  the  latter  do  not  know  that 
there  is  any  other,  or  that  these  books  differ  in  any  re-* 
spect  from  the  real  scriptures.  But  the  bible,  as  it  is, 
must  be  kept  from  the  people,  lest  they  corrupt  it.  An- 
other fact  to  illustrate  the  insincerity  of  this  plea  is  the 
insertion  of  the  books  of  apocrypha  as  divine  inspira- 
tion. Another  is  the  substitution  of  popish  words  and 
terms  for  scriptural  phrases,  in  translating  the  bible. 
Thus  the  word  penance  is  by  papists  substituted  almost 
invariably  for  the  scriptural  term  repentance.  Job  says, 
"  I  abhor  myself  and  repent,"  &c.  The  popish  scrip- 
tures say,  "  I  reprehend  myself,  and  do  penance  in  dust 
,and  ashes."  "  If  the  wicked  do  penance  for  all  the  sin 
he  has  committed."  Thus,  the  preaching  of  John — Re- 
pent, for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand — is,  "  Do  pt- 
ndnce^^  &c.     Is  this  the  gospel  of  men,  or  of  the  devil  ? 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  165 

It  surely  is  not  the  word  of  God.  But  a  still  more  glaring 
fact  respecting  this  point  is  the  suppression  of  the  second 
command  of  the  decalogue,  in  popish  bibles  and  cate- 
chisms. The  popish  decalogue  stands  thus:  1.  I  am 
the  Lord  thy  God ;  thou  shalt  have  no  strange  gods  be- 
fore me.  2.  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord 
thy  God  in  vain.  3.  Remember  thou  keep  holy  the  sab- 
bath day.  4.  Honor  thy  father  and  mother.  5.  Thou 
shalt  not  kill.  6.  Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery. 
7.  Thou  shalt  not  steal.  8.  Thou  shalt  not  bear  false 
witness.  9.  Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor's  wife. 
10.  Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor's  goods.  This  is 
copied  from  a  catechism  extensively  used  in  Ireland.  In 
the  primary  books  used  in  Italy,  the  fourth  command  is 
omitted  as  well  as  the  second,  and  in  its  place  is  the  fol- 
lowing : — "  Remember  to  keep  holy  the  days  of  festivals." 
This  is  done  by  men  who  are  afraid,  or  pretend  to  be  so, 
that  common  people  will  corrupt  the  scriptures.  When 
the  papists  of  France,  in  the  seventeenth  century,  found 
that  all  their  fire  and  sword  would  not  extirpate  protest- 
ants,  they  resolved  on  a  new  expedient.  An  edition  of 
the  New  Testament  was  published,  so  translated  that  a 
papist  might  find  scriptural  authority  for  all  he  claimed. 
The  book  was  printed  at  Bordeaux  in  1686,  and  was  en- 
titled, "  The  New  Testament  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
translated  from  Latin  into  French  by  the  divines  of  Lou- 
vain."  The  attestation  of  the  archbishop  of  Bordeaux 
was  prefixed  to  it,  assuring  the  reader  that  it  was  care- 
fully revised  and  corrected.  Two  doctors  in  divinity  also 
recommended  it  as  useful  to  all  those,  who,  with  permis- 
sion of  their  superiors,  might  read  it.  A  few  examples 
of  this  translation  are  subjoined,  to  show  how  safe  the 
bible  is  in  the  hands  of  the  priesthood.  Acts  xiii.  2, 
"  As  they  ministered  to  the  Lord  and  fasted,"  is  thus 
translated  by  the  papists  : — ''As  they  offered  to  the  Lord 
the  sacrifice  of  the  mass^  Luke  ii.  41,  popish  transla- 
tion, "  As  his  father  and  mother  went  every  year  in  piU 


166  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

grimage  to  Jerusalem."     1   Cor.   xi.  2,  "  Ye  keep  my 
commandments  as  I  left  them  with  you  by  tradition.^^ 
Jude  5,  "  The  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints  by  tradi- 
tion."    1  Cor.  ix.  5,  "  Have  we  not  power  to  lead  about 
a  sister,  a  woman  to  serve  us  in  the  gospel,  and  to  remem- 
ber us  loith  her  goods,  as  the  other  apostles  ?"     1  Cor. 
iii.  15,  '•  He  himself  shall  be  saved,  yet  in  all  cases  as  by 
the  fire  of  purgatory."     But  the  greatest  curiosity  of 
the  whole  work  is  the  translation  of  1   Tim.  iv.  1 — 3. 
This  passage,  one  would  suppose,  must  have  been  as 
gravel  to  their  teeth.     But  tradition  and  the  holy  mother 
operate  as  an  universal  solvent  to  all  knotty  texts.     The 
translation  runs  thus : — "  Now  the  Spirit  speaketh  ex- 
pressly, that  in  the  latter  times  some  will  separate  them- 
selves from  the  Roman  faith,  giving  themselves  up  to 
spirits  of  error,  and  to  doctrines  taught  by  devils  ;  speak- 
ing false  things  through  hypocrisy,  having  also  the  con- 
science cauterized  ;  condemning  the  sacrament  of  mar- 
riage, the  abstinence  from  meats,  which  God  hath  created 
for  the' faithful,'  and  for  those  who  have  known  the  truth; 
to  receive  them  with  thanksgiving."    Many  other  similar 
examples  might  be  given,  but  we  have  enough  to  satisfy 
every  mind  that  the  plea  of  papists  for  withholding  the 
scriptures  is  utterly  false  and  hypocritical.     The  truth 
is,  they  are  afraid  to  put  the  bible,  in  any  shape,  into  the 
hands  of  the  people,  lest  it  should  disclose  their  secret 
abominations.     "Every  one  that  doeth  evil  hateth  the 
light,  neither  cometh  to  the  light,  lest  his  deeds  should  be 
reproved."     The  whole  papal  world  may  be  challenged 
to  produce  any  corruptions  or  alterations  of  the  sacred 
volume  by  those  who  have  free  access  to  it,  to  be  com- 
pared with  those  above  cited,  and  a  multitude  of  others. 
Such,  then,  is  the  doctrine  and  practice  of  popery  con- 
cerning the  sacred  scriptures.     And  if  they  thus  pollute 
the  fountain,  what  must  we  not  expect  in  the  streams  ? 

2.  Transubstantiation. 

This  means,  that  in  the  sacramental  supper,  the  bread 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  167 

and  wine  used  are,  after  consecration,  turned  into  the  real 
flesh  and  blood  of  Christ.  And  this  they  call  the  real 
presence  of  Christ.  The  decree  of  the  council  of  Trent 
on  this  subject,  in  an  abridged  form,  is  as  follows,  viz. : — ■ 
"  In  the  first  place  the  holy  council  teacheth,  and  openly 
and  plainly  professeth,  that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  true 
God  and  man,  is  truly,  really,  and  substantially  contained 
in  the  pure  sacrament  of  the  holy  eucharist,  after  the 
consecration  of  the  bread  and  wine,  and  under  the  species 
of  these  sensible  objects.  Neither  is  it  to  be  regarded  as 
contradictory,  that  our  Saviour  should  always  sit  at  the 
right  hand  of  the  Father  in  heaven,  according  to  his 
natural  mode  of  existence,  and  yet  be  sacramentally  pre- 
sent with  us  in  his  substance,  and  in  many  other  places, 
according  to  that  mode  of  existence  w^hich,  though  we 
cannot  express  it  in  words,  we  can  nevertheless,  when 
thought  is  illumined  by  faith,  conceive  to  be  possible  with 
God,  and  ought  most  firmly  to  believe.  For  all  our  an- 
cestors, who  belong  to  the  true  church  of  Christ,  did 
most  plainly  acknowledge,  when  discoursing  on  this  most 
holy  sacrament,  that  our  Redeemer-  instituted  the  same, 
when,  after  the  benediction  of  the  bread  and  wine,  he 
testified,  in  clear  and  express  words,  that  he  presented  to 
his  disciples  his  own  body  and  his  own  blood.  It  is 
therefore  a  most  heinous  crime  that  they  should  be 
turned,  by  certain  contentious  and  wicked  men,  into  pre- 
tended and  imaginary  figures,  to  the  denial  of  the  truth 
of  the  flesh  and  blood  of  Christ."  Such  is  the  doctrine 
of  popery  concerning  the  sacramental  elements.  And 
while  they  construe  the  words  of  Christ  literally  when 
he  says,  "  This  is  my  body,"  they  do  not  recollect  that 
Christ  said  also,  "  I  am  the  way,  I  am  the  door  of-  the 
fold,  I  am  the  true  vine,"  &g.  If  one  declaration  is  to 
be  understood  as  literal,  why  not  the  others  ?  Neither 
do  they  appear  at  all  to  regard  the  gross  inconsistency 
and  nonsense  of  the  real  presence  of  the  body  of  Christ 
in  thousands  of  difTerent  places  at  the  same  time,  and  of 


168  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

his  real  body  being  eaten,  and  his  real  blood  being  drunk, 
on  many  repeated  occasions.  If  Christ  gave  his  real 
body  and  blood  to  his  disciples  in  the  supper,  they  must 
have  eaten  him  while  he  yet  remained  entire  before  them, 
nay,  he  must  have  broken  his  own  body,  and  poured 
out  his  own  blood,  while  personally  present.  But  the 
papists  not  only  pervert  the  ordinance  by  this  strange 
conceit,  they  also  pervert  it  by  ascribing  to  it  saving 
power,  and  sanctifying  properties.  The  effects  of  the 
eucharist,  or  Lord's  Supper,  are  thus  enumerated  in 
their  catechism.  1.  "It  imparts  grace;  it  is  not  like 
(ordinary)  bread  and  wine  changed  into  our  substance, 
but  in  some  measure  changes  us  into  its  own  nature.  2. 
It  remits  venial  sins.  Whatever  losses  the  soul  suf- 
fers by  falling  into  some  slight  offences  through  the 
violence  of  passion,  there  the  eucharist,  which  cancels 
lesser  sins,  repairs,  in  the  same  manner  that  natural  food, 
as  we  know  from  experience,  repairs  the  daily  waste 
caused  by  the  vital  heat  of  the  system.  3.  It  is  an  anti- 
dote against  the  contagion  of  sin,  and  a  shield  against  the 
violent  assaults  of  temptation.  4.  It  represses  the  licen- 
tious desires  of  the  flesh,  and  keeps  them  in  due  subjection 
to  the  spirit.  5.  It  facilitates  in  an  extraordinary  degree 
the  attainment  of  eternal  life.  The  grace  which  it  imparts 
gives  peace  and  tranquillity  to  the  soul ;  and  when  the 
hour  shall  have  arrived,  when  he  is  to  take  his  depar- 
ture from  this  mortal  life ;  like  another  Elias,  who,  in 
the  strength  of  his  miraculous  repast,  walked  to  Horeb, 
the  mount  of  God  ;  the  Christian,  invigorated  by  the 
strengthening  influence  of  this  heavenly  food,  shall 
wing  his  way  to  the  mansions  of  everlasting  glory,  and 
never  ending  bliss."  Thus  we  see  the  papists  pervert 
the  supper  of  the  Lord,  into  an  engine  of  superstition. 
They  make  it  a  substitute  for  Christ,  and  without  any 
regard  to  the  feelings  or  motives  of  the  recipient,  they 
ground  his  spiritual  improvement  and  growth  in  grace, 
on  the  mere  fact   of  an  external  reception  of  these  ele- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  169 

merits.  This,  we  may  perceive,  is  what  makes  papists 
so  anxious  to  receive  the  eucharist  when  about  to  die. 
They  suppose  that  it  has  in  itself,  as  being  Christ  in  the 
form  of  bread,  a  power  to  heal  the  soul.  If  they  receive 
these  elements  therefore  by  eating  and  drinking  them, 
they  suppose  they  have  received  Christ  to  salvation. 
What  more  dangerous  and  fatal  delusion  can  be 
imagined  ?  And  yet  thousands  of  souls,  under  papal 
guidance,  go  out  of  the  world  with  no  other  hope. 

Of  the  worship  and  veneration  to  be  given  to  this 
sacrament,  we  shall  treat  in  another  section.  It  may 
be  proper  to  add  here,  a  brief  description  of  the  po- 
pish method  of  administration  in  this  ordinance,  and 
their  method  of  preserving  and  carrying  it  to  the  sick. 
The  following  direction  for  receiving  the  communion,  is 
from  the  pen  of  a  popish  doctor.  "  When  the  priest 
gives  you  the  blessed  sacrament,  saying,  the  body  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  preserve  thy  soul  to  life  everlasting, 
amen,  receive  with  a  lively  faith,  a  personal  humility, 
an  heart  enflamed  with  love."  The  communicant  goes 
up  to  the  rail  of  the  altar,  and  having  a  towel  held  be- 
fore him,  then  he  proceeds  according  to  the  following 
directions  of  the  above  mentioned  doctor.  "  At  the  time 
of  your  receiving,  let  your  head  be  erect,  your  mouth 
opened  moderately  wide,  and  .your  tongue  a  little  ad- 
vanced so  as  to  rest  on  your  under  lip,  that  the  priest 
may  conveniently  convey  the  blessed  sacrament  into 
your  mouth.  Which  being  done,  shut  your  mouth,  let 
the  sacred  host  moisten  a  little  on  your  tongue,  and  then 
swallow  it  down  as  soon  as  you  can,  and  then  abstain 
a  while  from  spitting.  If  the  host  should  chance  to  stick 
to  the  roof  of  your  mouth,  be  not  disturbed,  neither 
must  you  put  your  finger  in  your  mouth  to  remove  it, 
but  gently  and  quietly  remove  it  with  your  tongue,  and 
thus  convey  it  down  ;  and  then  return  to  your  place,  and 
endeavor  to  entertain  as  well  as  you  can,  the  guest  whom 
you   have  received."     The   direction    to   abstain   from 

15 


170  HISTORY    or    POPERY. 

spitting-  after  receiving  the  host  or  bread,  is  designed  pro- 
bably to  prevent  the  ejection,  by  this  means,  of  any  part 
of  the  real  body  of  Christ;  for  this  would  be  a  fatal  loss. 
Concerning  the  preservation  of  the  sacrament,  and  the 
conveyance  of  it  to  the  sick,  the  council  of  Trent  thus 
decreed.  "  The  custom  of  preserving  the  holy  eucharist, 
in  the  sacristy  is  so  ancient,  that  it  was  acknowledged 
even  in  the  age  of  the  council  of  Nice.  Moreover  the 
practice  of  carrying  the  same  holy  eucharist  to  the  sick, 
and  carefully  preserving  it  for  that  purpose  in  the 
churches,  is  not  only  perfectly  agreeable  to  the  strict- 
est equity  and  reason,  but  has  been  enjoined  by  many 
councils,  and  sanctioned  by  the  long  standing  observ- 
ance of  the  catholic  church.  Therefore  this  holy 
council  decrees  that  this  very  salutary  and  necessary 
custom  be  retained."  The  following  description  of  the 
ceremony  of  carrying  the  sacrament  to  the  sick,  is  from 
a  resident  in  Spain.  "  When  a  priest  carries  the  con- 
secrated wafer,  or  bread,  to  a  dying  person,  a  man  with 
a  small  bell  accompanies  him.  At  the  sound  of  the  bell, 
all  who  hear  it  are  obliged  to  fall  on  their  knees,  and  to 
remain  in  that  posture  till  they  hear  it  no  longer.  Its 
sound  operates  like  magic  upon  the  Spaniards.  In  the 
midst  of  a  gay  and  noisy  party,  the  word  sa  Majestad, 
(his  majesty,  the  same  expression  being  used  both  for 
God  and  the  king,)  will  bring  every  one  on  his  knees, 
till  the  tinkling  dies  in  the  distance.  Are  you  at  dinner, 
you  must  leave  the  table  ;  in  bed,  you  must  at  least  sit 
up.  But  the  most  ludicrous  effect  of  this  custom  is  to 
be  seen  at  the  theatre.  On  the  approach  of  the  host  to 
any  military  guard,  the  drum  beats,  the  men  are  drawn 
out,  and  as  soon  as  the  priest  can  be  seen,  they  bend  the 
right  knee,  invert  the  firelocks,  and  place  the  bayonet  on 
the  ground.  As  an  officer's  guard  is  always  stationed 
at  the  door  of  a  Spanish  theatre,  I  have  often  laughed  in 
my  sleeve  at  the  effect  of  the  chamade  upon  the  actors, 
and  the  company.     Dios  !  Dios  !  (God,  God,)  resounds 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  171 

from  all  parts  of  the  house,  and  every  one  falls  that  mo- 
ment on  his  knees.  The  actors'  ranting  and  rattling  of 
the  castenets  in  the  fandango,  is  hushed  for  a  few 
minutes,  till  the  sound  of  the  bell,  growing  fainter  and 
fainter,  dies  away,  the  amusement  is  resumed,  and  the 
devout  performers  are  once  more  on  their  legs,  anx- 
ious to  make  amends  for  the  interruption."  When  the 
eucharist  is  administered  to  a  dying  person,  it  is  called 
the  "  viaticum,"  because,  says  the  papal  catechism,  "  it 
prepares  for  us  a  passage  to  eternal  happiness,  and  ever- 
lasting glory.  Hence,  in  accordance  with  the  ancient 
practice  of  the  church,  none  of  the  faithful  are  suffered 
to  depart  this  life,  without  being  previously  fortified  with 
this  living  bread  from  heaven." 

The  council  of  Trent  did  not  deem  it  sufficient  merely 
to  state  truth,  as  they  call  it,  but  they  proceeded  to  detect 
and  denounce  what  they  call  error,  in  the  following 
canons.  1.  "  Whoever  shall  deny  that  in  the  most  holy 
sacrament  of  the  eucharist,  there  are  truly,  really,  and 
substantially  contained  the  body  and  blood  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  together  with  his  soul  and  divinity,  and 
consequently  Christ  entire ;  but  shall  affirm  that  he  is 
present  therein,  only  in  a  figure  or  sign,  or  by  his  power, 
let  him  be  ac&ursed.  2.  Whoever  shall  affirm  that  in 
the  most  holy  sacrament  of  the  eucharist,  there  remains 
the  substance  of  the  bread  and  wine,  together  with  the 
body  and  blood  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  shall 
deny  that  wonderful  and  peculiar  conversion  of  the 
whole  substance  of  the  bread  into  his  body,  and  of  the 
whole  substance  of  the  wine  into  his  blood,  the  species 
only  of  bread  and  wine  remaining,  which  conversion 
the  catholic  church  most  fitly  terms  transubstantiation  ; 
let  him  be  accursed."  This  canon  is  directed  against  the 
consubstantiation  of  Luther,  but  which  is  now  rejected 
by  protestants.  6.  "Whoever  shall  affirm  that  Christ 
the  only  begotten  son  of  God,  is  not  to  be  adored  in  the 
holy  eucharist,  with  the  external  signs  of  that  worship 


172  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

which  is  due  to  God,  and  therefore,  that  the  eucharist 
is  not  to  be  honored  with  extraordinary  festive  celebra- 
tion, nor  solemnly  carried  about  in  processions  accord- 
ing* to  the  laudible  and  universal  rites  and  customs  of 
holy  church,  nor  publicly  presented  to  the   people  for 
their  adoration,  and  that  those  who  worship  the  same 
are  idolaters,    let  him  be   accursed."      11.  "  Whoever 
shall  affirm  that  faith  only,  is  a  sufficient  preparation 
for  the  reception  of  the    most    holy  sacrament  of  the 
eucharist,  let   him  he   accursed.     And   lest  so  great  a 
sacrament  should  be  taken  unworthily,  and  therefore  to 
death    and    condemnation,  the   said   holy   council  doth 
decree  and  declare,  that  previous  sacramental  confession 
is  absolutely   necessary,  if  a   confessor  is  at  hand,  for 
those  who  are  conscious  of  the  guilt  of  mortal  sin,  how- 
ever contrite  they  may  think   themselves   to  be.     Who- 
ever shall  presume  to   teach,  preach,  or  obstinately  as- 
sert the  contrary,  or   to  maintain  opposite    opinions  in 
public    disputation,  let  him  be,  ipso  facto,    excommuni- 
cated."    No  one  can  complain  that  these  canons  are  not 
sufficiently  explicit.     Here  the  bread  and  wine  of  the 
supper  are  declared  to  be  Christ  himself,  not  only  his 
body,  but  his  soul  and  divinity.     Consequently,  that  the 
same  worship  is  due  to  these  symbols  which  is  due  to 
Christ  as  God.     And  that  no  person  conscious  of  mortal 
sin,  as  they  speak,  can  properly  come  to  Christ  or  his 
ordinance,  on  the  ground  of  faitb,  or  however  contrite 
he  may  think  himself  to  be,  without  first  confessing-  his 
sins  to  a  priest,  a  fellow  sinner,  and  obtaining  his  absolu- 
tion.    It  seems  that  this   might  be   enought  to  satisfy 
every  rational  mind,  of  the  true  nature  and  tendency  of 
popery.     The  council  of  Trent  say,  that  the  doctrine  of 
transubstantiation  has  been  the  doctrine  of  the  church 
always.     But  this  is  a  false  statement.     Several  eminent 
writers  of  the  papal  church,  among  whom  we  may  reck- 
on Scotus,  and  Bellarmine,  Biel,  and  Cojetan,  confess 
that   this   doctrine  cannot    be  proved   from  the  scrip- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  173 

tures.  This  doctrine  was  not  started  or  heard  of  in  the 
ancient  church,  until  the  year  750.  A  dispute  arose, 
about  that  year,  in  the  synod  of  Constantinople  concern- 
ing the  worship  of  images,  in  opposition  to  which,  that 
synod  thus  reasoned.  "  That  our  Lord  having  left  no 
other  image  of  himself,  than  the  sacrament  in  which 
the  substance  of  the  bread  is  the  image  of  his  body,  we 
ought  to  make  no  other  image  of  our  Lord."  In  an- 
swer to  this  argument  the  second  council  of  Nice,  in 
the  year  787,  did  declare  that  "  the  sacrament  after  the 
consecration,  is  not  the  image  and  antitype  of  Christ's 
body  and  blood,  but  is  properly  his  body  and  blood." 
Thus  it  appears,  that  the  real  presence  of  Christ  in  the 
sacrament,  was  first  introduced  to  support  image  wor- 
ship, and  if  it  come  in  at  all,  it  could  not  come  on  a  more 
fit  occasion.  This  took  place  in  the  Greek  church. 
In  the  Latin  or  Roman  church,  the  subject  was  first 
broached  by  the  monk  Paschosius,  in  the  year  818.  But 
the  doctrine  was  not  received  till  a  long  time  after  this. 
Indeed  it  was  contested  for  about  300  years,  until  at 
length  the  monstrous  absurdity  became  a  settled  doctrine 
of  popery.  The  change  of  the  elements  from  bread  and 
wine,  to  the  real  body  and  blood  of  Christ,  is  supposed 
to  take  place  immediately  after  consecration,  before  the 
bread  is  broken,  when  the  priest  pronounces  in  latin, 
"^ hoc  est  corjms  meum,''''  in  English,  ''this  is  my  body.'''' 
These  words  are  pronounced  as  a  kind  of  spell  or 
charm,  by  which  the  bread  and  wine  are  commanded  to 
depart  from  the  elements,  and  the  body  and  blood,  and 
soul,  and  divinity  of  Christ  to  enter  them.  On  this  ac- 
count, as  is  supposed,  a  contraction  of  this  latin  phrase, 
into  "  hocus-pocus,^^  is  usually  repeated  by  jugglers,  to 
give  superstitious  mystery  to  their  tricks.  And  certainly 
the  hocus-pocus  of  jugglers,  is  as  well  founded  as  that  of 
papists. 

But  the  popish  priests  do  not  and  cannot  believe  this 
absurd  doctrine,  on   which  they  lay   so   much  stress. 

15* 


174  HISTORY    OF    POPERl. 

They  have  burnt  many  at  the  stake  for  not  believing 
what  no  rational  mind  can  believe.  As  evidence  of  the 
hypocrisy  of  the  popish  priests  in  professing  to  believe 
this  doctrine,  the  following  anecdote  may  apply.  "  A 
protestant  lady  married  a  papist,  on  condition  that  he 
would  never  use  any  attempts,  in  his  intercourse  with 
her,  to  induce  her  to  embrace  his  religion.  Accordingly, 
after  their  marriage,  he  abstained  from  conversing  with 
her  on  those  topics,  which  he  knew  would  be  disagree- 
able to  her.  He  employed  the  popish  priest,  however, 
who  often  visited  the  family,  to  use  his  influence  to  instill 
his  popish  notions  into  her  mind.  But  she  remained 
unmoved,  particularly  on  the  doctrine  of  transubstantia- 
tion.  At  length  the  husband  fell  ill,  and  was  advised  by 
the  priest  to  receive  the  holy  sacrament.  The  wife  was 
requested  to  prepare  the  bread  and  wine  for  the  solem- 
nity by  the  next  day.  She  did  so ;  and  on  presenting 
them  to  the  priest,  said, '  These,  sir,  you  wish  me  to  un- 
derstand, will  be  changed  into  the  real  body  and  blood  of 
Christ,  after  you  have  consecrated  them  V  '  Most  cer- 
tainly,' he  replied.  '  Then,  sir,'  she  rejoined,  '  it  will  not 
be  possible,  after  the  •  consecration,  for  them  to  do  any 
harm  to  the  worthy  partakers  ;  for  says  our  Lord,  my 
flesh  is  meat  indeed,  and  my  blood  is  drink  indeed  ;  and 
he  that  eateth  me  shall  live  by  me.'  '  Assuredly,'  an- 
swered the  priest,  '  they  cannot  do  harm  to  the  worthy 
receivers,  but  must  communicate  great  good.'  The  cere- 
mony proceeded,  the  bread  and  wine  were  consecrated, 
the  priest  was  about  to  take  and  eat  the  bread ;  but  the 
lady  begged  pardon  for  interrupting  him,  saying,  '  I 
mixed  a  little  arsenic  with  the  bread,  sir,  but  as  it  is  now 
changed  into  the  real  body  of  Christ,  it  will  of  course  do 
you  no  harm.'  The  faith  of  the  priest  was  not  sufficiently 
firm  to  enable  him  to  eat  the  poisoned  bread.  Confused,, 
ashamed,  and  irritated,  he  left  the  house,  and  never  more 
ventured  to  enforce  on  that  lady  the  doctrine  of  transub- 
stantiation/^ 


history  of  popery.  175 

3.  Penance. 

The  term  penance  had  originally  a  two  fold  meaning. 
1.  Interior  sorrow  of  heart  on  account  of  sin  ;  this  is  the 
virtue  of  penance.  2.  Exterior  indication  of  such  sor- 
row ;  this  is  the  sacrament  of  penance.  It  consists  of  cer- 
tain fruits  or  signs  which  may  be  considered  significant 
of  internal  sorrow.  In  this  view  it  means  much  the 
same  thing  as  repentance,  and  fruits  meet  for  repentance, 
and  thus  far  is  unobjectionable.  But  now  come  the  po- 
pish glosses.  It  was  supposed  to  be  a  difficult  thing  for 
a  man  to  pronounce  of  the  genuineness  of  his  own  sor- 
row, and  the  sufficiency  of  the  fruits  to  manifest  it.  To 
remove  this  difficulty  the  papists  teach,  that  Christ  insti- 
tuted the  sacrament  of  penance,  in  which  we  are  author- 
ized to  cherish  a  well  grounded  hope,  that  our  sins  are  for- 
given us  by  the  absolution  of  the  priest,  and  the  faith  which 
we  justly  have  in  the  efficacy  of  the  sacrament,  has  much 
influence  in  tranquillizing  the  mind,  and  giving  peace  to 
the  soul.  The  voice  of  the  priest,  who  is  legitimately 
constituted  a  minister  for  the  remission  of  sins,  is  to  be 
heard  as  that  of  Christ  himself,  saying  to  the  lame,  *'  Son, 
be  of  good  cheer,  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee."  "More- 
over, as  salvation  is  attainable  only  through  Christ  and 
the  merits  of  his  passion,  the  institution  of  this  sacra- 
ment was  in  itself  accordant  to  the  views  of  divine  wis- 
dom, and  pregnant  with  blessings  to  the  Christian. 
Penance  is  the  channel  through  which  the  blood  of 
Christ  flows  into  the  soul,  washes  away  the  stains  of  sin 
contracted  after  baptism,  and  calls  forth  from  us  the 
grateful  acknowledgment,  that  to  Christ  alone  are  we  in- 
debted for  reconciliation  with  God."  This  is  the  popish 
account  of  the  subject,  from  which  we  may  perceive,  that 
by  magnifying  the  external  fruit  of  repentance,  or  rather 
what  they  enjoin  as  fruit,  and  by  magnifying  their  own 
importance  in  the  matter,  the  priests  gradually  turned 
away  the  minds  of  their  followers  from  sin,  as  a  crime 
against  God,  and  from  all  internal  exercise  of  sorrow,  to 


176  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

certain  external  rites,  by  which  they  signified  that  sin 
was  pardoned.  If  the  priest  judged  that  certain  fruits 
were  sufficient  and  pronounced  them  so,  the  offender  was 
comforted.  And  thus  all  sorrow  for  sin  became  not  re- 
pentance towards  God,  but  towards  the  priest.  Con- 
cerning this  subject  the  council  of  Trent  decreed  as  fol- 
lows. "  Now,  in  order  to  obtain  grace  and  righteousness, 
penance  was  always  necessary  for  all  men  who  had  de- 
filed themselves  with  mortal  sin,  even  for  those  who 
sought  to  be  washed  in  the  sacrament  of  baptism,  that 
renouncing  and  amending  their  perverseness,  they  might 
regard  so  great  offences  against  God  with  utmost  ab- 
horrence, hatred,  and  pious  grief  of  mind.  Whence  the 
prophet  saith,  '  Be  converted  and  do  penance  for  all  your 
iniquities,  and  iniquity  shall  not  be  your  ruin.'  The 
Lord  also  said,  '  Except  you  do  penance  you  shall  all 
likewise  perish.'  And  Peter,  the  prince  of  the  apostles, 
recommending  penance  to  those  sinners  who  were  about 
to  be  initiated  by  baptism,  said,  '  Do  penance  and  be  bap- 
tized every  one  of  you.'  Yet  penance  was  not  a  sacra- 
ment before  the  coming  of  Christ,  nor  since  his  coming 
is  it  a  sacrament  to  any  before  baptism."  Here  mark 
the  popish  perversion  of  the  doctrine  of  repentance.  If 
they  are  to  be  credited,  men  before  baptism  are  not  re- 
quired to  do  works  meet  for  repentance,  or  to  give  satis- 
factory evidence  of  that  inward  exercise.  Christ  cer- 
tainly did  not  so  teach  men.  But,  proceeds  the  council, 
"  The  Lord  especially  instituted  the  sacrament  of  pe- 
nance when,  after  his  resurrection,  he  breathed  on  his 
disciples,  saying,  '  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost,  whose 
sins  you  shall  forgive,  they  are  forgiven  them,  and  whose 
sins  ye  retain  they  are  retained."  By  this  remarkable 
action,  and  by  these  express  words,  as  the  fathers  have 
by  universal  consent  always  understood  the  same,  the 
power  of  forgiving  sins  and  retaining  them,  in  order  to 
reconcile  the  faithful,  who  have  sinned  after  baptism,  was 
communicated  to  the  apostles  and  their  lawful  successors ; 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  177 

and  the  catholic  church  hath,  with  good  reason,  rejected 
and  condemned  as  heretics  the  Novatians,  who  obstinately 
deny  the  power  of  forgiving."  It  is  natural  to  remark 
on  the  above  statement,  that  before  the  papist  priests  claim 
the  prerogative  of  the  apostles  expressed  in  the  above 
passage,  whatever  may  be  its  meaning,  it  will  be  well 
for  them  to  show  the  requisite  qualifications,  viz.,  that 
Christ  hath  breathed  on  them,  and  said,  receive  ye  the 
Holy  Ghost.  It  is  not  important  now  to  stop  to  explain 
the  words  of  Christ  to  his  disciples  cited  above  ;  for, 
whatever  that  meaning  may  be,  the  papists  have  no  right 
to  it,  any  more  than  when  Christ  said  to  his  disciples, 
"  If  ye  shall  say  to  this  mountain,  be  thou  removed,  and 
be  thou  cast  into  the  sea,  it  shall  be  done."  The  popish 
priests  are  not  the  lawful  successors  of  the  apostles,  and 
if  they  claim  to  be,  let  them  prove  the  claim.  It  appears, 
from  the  statements  of  papists,  that  baptism  is  to  be  con- 
sidered as  cleansing  the  unregenerate,  and  penance  ap- 
plies to  the  sins  which  men  commit  after  they  are  bap- 
tized. And  the  form  of  absolution  which  the  council  of 
Trent  prescribed,  is  in  these  words.  "  /  absolve  thee 
from  thy  sins  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son, 
and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.^''  "  In  these  words  its  power  and 
efficacy  are  said  to  reside.  The  great  efficacy  of  pe- 
nance, says  the  popish  catechism,  consists  in  this,  that  it 
restores  us  to  the  favor  of  God,  and  unites  us  to  him  in 
the  closest  bonds  of  friendship.  There  is  no  sin  how- 
ever grievous,  no  crime  however  enormous  or  often  re- 
peated, which  penance  does  not  remit."  The  council  of 
Trent  passed  the  following  decrees  against  the  opponents 
of  penance  in  their  sense  of  it.  "  Whoever  shall  affirm, 
that  penance,  as  used  in  the  catholic  church,  is  not  truly 
and  properly  a  sacrament  instituted  by  Christ  our  Lord, 
for  the  benefit  of  the  faithful,  to  reconcile  them  to  God, 
as  often  as  they  shall  fall  into  sin  after  baptism,  let  him 
be  accursed."  3.  *'  Whoever  shall  affirm,  that  the  words 
of  the  Lord  our  Saviour,  '  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost,' 


178  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

&c.,  are  not  to  be  understood  of  the  power  of  forgiving" 
and  retaining  sins,  in  the  sacrament  of  penance,  as  the 
catholic  church  has  always,  from  the  very  first,  under- 
stood them,  but  shall  restrict  them  to  the  authority  of 
preaching  the  gospel,  in  opposition  to  the  institution  of 
this  sacrament,  let  him  be  accursed." 

4.  Auricular  Confession. 
.  This,  though  properly  a  part  of  penance,  it  is  expedi- 
ent to  consider  under  a  distinct  head.  This  means  the 
confessing,  in  the  ear  of  a  priest,  commissioned  for  that 
purpose,  and  called  a  confessor,  of  all  the  sins,  public  and 
secret,  of  which  any  one  feels  conscious,  and  which  he 
can  possibly  recollect.  "  The  universal  Church,"  says 
the  above  mentioned  council,  "  has  always  understood 
that  a  full  confession  of  sins  was  instituted  by  our  Lord, 
as  a  part  of  the  sacrament  of  penance,  now  explained, 
and  that  it  is  necessary,  by  divine  appointment,  for  all 
men  who  have  sinned  after  baptism,  because  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  when  he  was  about  to  ascend  from  earth  to 
heaven,  left  his  priests  in  his  place,  as  presidents  and 
judges,  to  whom  all  mortal  offences,  into  which  the  faith- 
ful might  fall,  may  be  submitted,  that  they  might  pro- 
nounce remission  or  retention  of  sins,  according  to  the 
power  of  the  keys.  For  it  is  plain,  that  a  priest  cannot 
sustain  the  office  of  judge,  if  the  cause  be  unknown  to 
him,  nor  inflict  suitable  punishments,  if  sins  are  only  con- 
fessed in  general,  and  not  individually  and  minutely  de- 
scribed. For  this  reason  it  follows,  that  penitents  are 
bound  to  rehearse,  in  confession,  all  mortal  sins,  of  which, 
after  diligent  examination  of  themselves,  they  are  con- 
scious, even  though  they  be  of  the  most  secret  kind,  and 
only  committed  against  the  two  last  precepts  of  the  deca- 
logue, (i.  e.  according  to  the  popish  arrangement,  which 
divides  the  truth,  in  order  to  supply  the  absence  of  the 
second,)  which  sometimes  do  more  grievously  wound 
souls,  and  are  more  perilous  than  those  which  are  open 
and  manifest."    Here  we  see  that  popery  claims  the  right 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  179 

to  dive  into  the  secrets  of  the  heart,  and  to  judge  of  what 
none  but  God  can  adequately  know.     But,  proceeds  the 
council,  "  Seeing  that  all  mortal  sins,  even  of  thought, 
make  men  children  of  wrath,  and  enemies  of  God,  it  is 
necessary  to  seek  from  him,  (through  the  priest,)  the 
pardon  of  every  one  of  them,  with  open,  (that  is  auricu- 
lar,) and  humble  confession.     Moreover,  it  follows,  that 
even  those  circumstances,  which  alter  the  species  of  sin, 
are  to  be  explained  in  confession,  since  the  penitents  can- 
not otherwise  fully  confess  their  sins,  nor  the  judges 
know  them,  and  it  becomes  impossible  to  form  a  right  es- 
timate of  the  heinousness  of  the  offence,  or  inflict  a  suit- 
able punishment.     Whence  it  is  very  unreasonable  to 
teach  that  these  circumstances  are  the  inventions  of  idle 
men,  or  that  it  is  sufficient  to  confess  one  circumstance 
only,   as  for  instance   that   we  have  sinned   against   a 
brother."     Concerning  the  persons  who  are  authorized  to 
receive  confessions,  the  council  goes  on  to  say,  "  That 
even  those  priests  who  are  living  in  mortal  sin,  may  ex- 
ercise the  function  of  forgiving  sins  as  the  ministers  of 
Christ,  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  conferred  upon 
them  in  their  ordination,  and  that  those  who  hold  that 
wicked  priests  have  not  this  power,  hold  very  erroneous 
sentiments."     In  the  catechism  it  is  stated  that  the  most 
inviolable  secrecy  is  to  be  observed  by  the   confessor. 
*'  All  laws,  human  and  divine,  guard  the  inviolability  of 
the  seal  of  confession,  (i.  e.  secrecy  of  it,)  and  against 
its  sacrilegious  infraction,  the   church   denounces   her 
heaviest  chastisements."     According  to  this  law,  Garnet, 
the  Jesuit,  concealed  his  knowledge  of  the  gun  powder 
plot,  and  justified  his  concealment,  because  he  received 
the  information  at  confession.     The  popish  catechism 
proceeds  to  speak  of  confession.     "  In  the  minister  of 
God,  who  sits  in  the  tribunal  of  penance  as  his  legiti- 
mate judge,  (though  the  judge  may  he  living  himself  in 
mortal  sin,)  the  penitent  venerates  the  power  and  person 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  for  in  the  administration  of 


180  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

this,  as  well  as  of  other  sacraments,  the  priest  represents 
the  character,  and  performs  the  functions  of  Jesus  Christ." 
If  this  is  true,  one  would  be  led  to  say,  at  least,  "  Be  ye 
holy  that  bear  the  vessels  of  the  Lord." 

The  method  of  confession  in  common  practice  is  the 
following :  '*  The  penitent  kneeling  down  by  the  side 
of  his  ghostly  (i.  e.  spiritual)  father,  makes  the  sign  of 
the  cross  and  asks  his  blessing,  "  Pray  father,  give  me 
your  blessing,  I  have  sinned."  Then  he  begins  in  Latin 
or  in  English  to  say  what  is  called  the  confiteor.  It 
runs  thus :  "  I  confess  to  Almighty  God,  to  blessed 
Mary,  ever  a  virgin,  to  blessed  Michael  the  archangel, 
to  blessed  John  Baptist,  to  the  holy  apostles  Peter  and 
Paul,  to  all  the  saints,  that  I  have  sinned  exceedingly  in 
thought,  word  and  deed,  through  my  fault,  through  my 
most  grievous  fault."  At  this  place,  the  penitent  accuses 
himself  of  his  sins  in  particular,  either  according  to  the 
order  of  God's  commandments,  (omitting  such  as  priests 
choose  to  leave  out)  or  such  other  order  as  he  may  find 
most  helpful  to  his  memory :  adding,  after  the  mention 
of  each  sin,  the  number  of  times  he  has  been  guilty  of 
it,  and  such  circumstances  as  may  very  considerably 
aggravate  the  guilt ;  but  carefully  abstaining  from  such 
as  are  impertinent  and  unnecessary,  and  from  excuses 
and  long  narrations.  After  he  has  confessed  all  that  he 
can  remember,  he  then  concludes  with  this  or  the  like 
form.  "  Therefore  I  beseech  the  blessed  Mary,  ever  a 
virgin,  the  blessed  Michael  the  archangel,  the  blessed 
John  Baptist,  the  holy  apostles  Peter  and  Paul,  and  all 
the  saints,  to  pray  to  the  Lord  our  God  for  me.  For  all 
these  and  my  other  sins,  which  I  cannot  at  this  present 
call  to  my  remembrance,  I  am  heartily  sorry,  purpose 
amendment  for  the  future,  most  humbly  ask  pardon  of 
God,  and  absolution  of  you,  my  ghostly  father.  So  the 
penitent  may  finish  his  confiteor,  and  then  give  attentive 
ear  to  the  instructions  of  his  confessor,  and  humbly  ac- 
cept of  the  penance  enjoined  upon  him.     While  the  priest 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  181 

gives  him  absolution,  he  must  bow  down  his  head,  and 
with  great  humility  call  upon  God  for  mercy,  and  beg 
of  him  that  he  will  be  pleased  to  pronounce  the  sentence 
of  absolution  in  heaven,  while  his  minister  absolves  him 
upon  earth.     After  confession,  let  the  penitent  return  to 
his  prayers,  and  after  having  heartily  given  God  thanks 
for  having  admitted  him,  by  the  means  of  this  ordinance, 
to  the  grace  of  reconciliation,  and  received  him  like  the 
prodigal  child  returning  home,  let  him  make  an  offering 
of  his  confession  to  Jesus   Christ,  begging  pardon   for 
whatever  defects  he  may  have  been  guilty  of  in  it,  offering 
up  his  resolutions  to  his  Saviour,  and   begging   grace 
that  he  may  put  them  in  execution."     A  certain  popish 
doctor  has  furnished  a  list  of  questions  to  be  used  for 
;he  examination  of  conscience,  on  the  ten  command- 
ments, before  confession.     The  following  may  serve  as 
examples  :  *'  1.  Have  you  been  guilty  of  heresy  or  dis- 
belief of  any  article  of  faith,  or  of  any  voluntary  doubts 
respecting  it  ?     How  often  ?     And  for  how  long  a  time  ? 
Have   you   rashly   exposed   yourself   to   infidelity,   by 
reading  bad  books  or  keeping  wicked  company  ?     How 
often  ?     2.  Have  you,  by  word  or  deed,  denied  your  re- 
ligion, or  gone  to  the  churches  or  meetings  of  heretics, 
so  as  to  join  in  any  way  with  them  in  their  worship?  or 
to  give   scandal?     How   often?"     Thus  the    first  and 
second  commands  are  passed  by  as  if  the  whole  meaning 
of  them  were,  thou  shalt  have  no  other  God  but   the 
pope.     3.  (4.)  Have  you  broke  the  days  of  abstinence, 
commanded  by  the  church,  or  eaten  more  than  one  meal 
on  fast  days,  or  been  accessory  to  others'  so  doing  ?    How 
often  ?     Have  you  neglected  to  confess  your  sins  once  a 
year,  or  to  receive  the  blessed  sacraments  at  Easter  ? 
Have  you  presumed  to  receive  the  blessed  sacrament, 
after  having  broken  your  fast  ?     5.  (6.)  Have  you  com- 
mitted any  thing  you  judged  or  doubted  to  be  mortal 
sin,  though  perhaps  it  was  not  ?     How  often  ?     Or  have 
you  exposed  yourself  to  the  evident  danger  of  mortal 

16 


182  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

sin?     How  often  ?     And  of  what  sin?     9.  (10.)  Have 
you  entertained  with  pleasure  the  thoughts  of  doing  or 
saying  any  thing  which  it  would  be  sin  to  say  and  do  ? 
How  often  ?     Have  you  the  design  or  the  desire  of  com- 
mitting any  sin  1     Of  what  sin  ?     How  often  ?     Have 
you  been  guilty  of  eating  or  drinking  to  excess,  so  far  as 
considerably  to  injure  your  health  or  your  reason,  or  to 
endanger  them  ?     And  with  what  scandal  ?     Have  you 
made  others  drunk,  or  sought  to  make  them  so  ?     How 
often  ?     Have  you  gloried  in  any  other  sin  whatsoever  ? 
How  often  ?     And  before  what  company  ?     And  what 
sin?"     {From  a  popish  book  called  Garden  of  the  soul.) 
The  questions  on  the  seventh  command,   (the  sixth  of 
papists,)  are  so  indecent  as  to  be  unfit  to  be  published. 
And  the  publication  of  such  questions  by  papists,  speaks 
volumes  concerning  the  morality  and  delicacy  of  their 
confessions  to  the  priest.      The  truth  of  this  remark 
may  be  illustrated  from  the  Catholic's  Manual,  a  volume 
issued  by  John   Power,  popish  vicar  general  of  New 
York.     As  penitents,  we  are  to  confess  "sins  against 
ourselves   by  impurity.     1.  In   thoughts.     In    wilfully 
dwelling  upon,  or  taking  pleasure  in  unchaste  thoughts. 
In  confession,  it  must  be  mentioned  how  long,  whether 
with  desires  of  committing  evil,  whether  they  caused  ir- 
regular motions  in  a  holy  place,  whether  the  objects  of 
unlawful  desires  were  single  or  married  persons,  or  per- 
sons  consecrated   to    God?      2.  In  words.      Speaking 
obscenely,  listening  with  pleasure  to  such  vile  language, 
singing  unchaste  songs,  giving  toasts  and  sentiments 
contrary  to  modesty.     3.  In  looks.     Viewing  immodest 
objects,  reading  bad  books,  keeping  indecent  pictures, 
frequenting  plays,  and  tempting  others  to  sin  by  disso- 
lute glances,  gestures,  or  immodest  dress  or  behavior. 
4.  Actions.     Defiling  the  sanctity  of  marriage  by  shame- 
ful liberties  contrary  to  nature.     In  touching  ourselves 
or  others  immodestly — permitting  such  base  liberties — 
certain  sins  of  a  lonely  and  abominable  nature.     What 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  183 

were  the  consequences  of  these  sinful  impurities  ?  explain 
every  thing,  the  number  of  these  bad  actions,  the  length 
of  time  continued  in  the  habit,  and  with  whom  we 
sinned."  The  following  questions  to  be  asked  at  confes- 
sion, are  found  in  the  Philadelphia  edition  of  the  Key  to 
Paradise,  approved  by  Mr.  Kendrick,  the  popish  priest 
of  Philadelphia.  *'  1.  Have  you  been  guilty  of  adultery 
or  fornication,  and  how  often  ?  2.  Have  you  desired  to 
commit  either,  and  how  often?  3.  Have  you  intended 
to  commit  either,  and  how  often  ?  4.  Have  you  taken 
pleasure  in  thinking  on  any  improper  subject,  and  how 
often  ?  5.  Have  you  endeavored  to  excite  your  own 
passions,  and  how  often  ?  6.  Have  you  been  guilty  of 
indecent  liberties,  and  how  often  ?  7.  Have  you  read 
indecent  writings,  or  lent  them  to  others,  and  how  often  ? 
8.  Have  you  exposed  indecent  pictures  ?  9.  Have  you 
joined  in  indecent  conversation,  and  how  often?  10. 
Have  you  committed  any  gross  sin  against  chastity  ?"  It 
is  painful  to  make  a  public  record  of  such  questions. 
But  duty  demands  that  the  shameful  indecency  of  con- 
fessions be  known  to  the  community. 

The  above  is  the  most  delicate  form  in  which  the  sub- 
ject ever  came  before  the  public.  No  one  questions  the 
propriety  of  penitence  before  God  for  all  enormities  which 
flow  from  the  human  heart,  that  sink  of  sin  ;  but  where 
is  the  propriety  or  morality  of  pouring  all  these  things 
into  the  ear  of  an  upstart  priest,  a  fellow  sinner,  a  man 
of  like  passions  with  others?  Certainly,  if  he  have  any 
delicacy  of  feeling,  he  will  not  be  highly  edified  by  hav- 
ing his  ears  and  mind  made  the  common  reservoir  of  all 
the  filth  around  him.  And  then  think  of  all  the  popish 
men  and  women,  boys  and  girls,  above  twelve  years  of 
age,  carefully  studying  the  above  questions,  and  truly 
answering  them  to  the  priest,  on  pain  of  being  refused 
absolution,  which  is  essential  to  salvation  !  What  can 
such  an  exercise  produce  but  the  utter  prostration  of  all 
moral  principle  ?     For  the  young  are  by  thesis  questions, 


184  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

and  the  answers  they  must  give,  initiated  into  the  know- 
ledge of  criminal  practices,  of  which  they  would  other- 
wise never  have  thought.  The  confessional,  then,  is  truly 
a  school  of  vice  and  defilement,  whose  catechumens  are 
trained  up  for  the  service  of  Satan.  And  what  must 
female  character  and  sentiment  be,  formed  under  such  an 
influence,  and  in  such  a  school.  Surely  popish  husbands 
are  not  to  be  envied  respecting  the  confidence  and  com- 
placency they  feel  towards  their  wives,  whose  mindsr 
have  been  polluted  with  this  drilling  in  impurity,  if  no- 
thing more  is  the  eflfect.  Surely,  the  female  part  of  po- 
pish communities  must  be  effectually  guarded  against  the 
loss  of  any  delicacy,  or  modesty,  or  purity,  after  a  few 
years  of  such  seasoning ! 

But  we  have  not  done  with  confessions  yet.  We  have 
seen  the  fair  side  of  the  subject,  in  the  light  in  which 
papists  themselves  present  it.  Injustice  to  the  cause  of 
truth  would  be  done  if  the  subject  were  here  dismissed, 
A  few  well  attested  facts,  presenting  the  dark  shades  of 
this  picture,  will  now  be  stated ;  relying  on  the  candor 
and  patience  of  the  reader  that  the  demands  of  truth  and 
duty  in  the  case  will  be  deemed  a  sufficient  apology  : 
"  Mr.  John  Gordon,  a  native  of  Scotland,  was,  in  his 
youth  and  against  his  will,  sent  to  a  popish  seminary  in 
the  Highlands,  and  afterwards  to  the  Scotch  college  in 
Paris,  to  be  educated  for  the  priesthood.  Having  no 
means  of  escape,  for  a  long  time  he  was  obliged  to  con- 
form to  all  the  rules  of  the  college.  At  length,  however, 
he  escaped,  and  returning  to  Scotland,  renounced  popery 
and  embraced  the  protestant  religion  before  the  presby- 
tery of  Edinburgh.  In  his  narrative,  speaking  of  con- 
fessions, he  says  : — '  After  this,  we  were  sent  to  our 
chambers  to  begin  an  examination  of  our  consciences. 
Paper,  pen,  and  ink,  were  given  us,  that  we  might  write 
down  all  the  sins  we  could  think  of.  When  they  had 
given  us  sufficient  time  for  examination,  then  they  gave 
us  some  prayers  to  say,  for  obtaining  contrition  and  sor- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  185 

row  for  our  sins ;  after  which,  Mr. was  placed  in 

the  confessional,  to  hear  our  several  accounts.     I  must 
confess  these  proceedings  did  not  well  digest  with  me, 
but  I  was  too  well  secured  either  to  make  off  or  disobey. 
So  to  the  confessional  I  went,  where  I  must  own  there 
was  not  a  corner  of  my  conscience  that  was  not  pretty 
well  sifted  by  the  impertinent  interrogations  he  made, 
by  which  I  learned  more  sins  than  ever  I  had  heard  of 
when  conversant  in  the  world.     However,  I  came  pretty 
well  off,  for  the  only  penance  I  had  imposed  upon  me, 
was  to  repeat  every  day,  for  two  weeks,  the  seven  psalms 
which  are  called  penitential.     And  because  I  had  aposta- 
tized from  them,  (which  he  called  the  sin  against  the  Holy 
Ghost,)  he  ordered  me  to  sleep  in  my  clothes  for  the  above 
mentioned  time.     I  became  acquainted  with  several  con- 
fessors, and  particularly  with  one  Mr.  Holdar,  who  was 
confessor  to  most  of  the  English  nuns  in  the  monastery 
of  Zion,  by  St.  Victors.     All  our  conversation  ran  upon 
the  different  stories  he  heard  in  confession,  and  of  the 
nuns'  scruples  of  conscience,  which  I  am  ashamed  to  re- 
hearse.    So  that  I  would  advise  these  ladies  either  to 
forbear  frequenting  confession,  or  at  least  to  make  choice 
of  a  discreet  confessor.     It  is  the  ordinary  discourse  of 
the  priests,  when  they  meet,  to  inform  each  other  what 
they  have  heard  in  confession,  and  how  dexterously  they 
behaved  on  those  occasions.     This  I  can  assert,  because 
I  was  often  present  at  such  conferences,  where  the  con- 
versation was  so  indecent  that  even  an  honest  pagan 
would   have    blushed.'      The    confessional    or    confes- 
sionary  is  the  place  where  confession  is  made,  where  the 
priest  sits  in  a  chair  in  the  darkest  part  of  the  chapel. 
The  chairs  generally  have  an  iron  grate  at  each  side,  but 
none  at  all  before.     On  some  days  of  devotion,  or  .on  a 
great  festival,  there  is  such  a  crowd  of  people,  that  you 
may  see  three  penitents  at  once  about  the  chair,  one  at 
each  grate,  and  the  other  at  the  door,  though  only  one 
confessing  at  a  time,  whispering  in  the  confessor's  ear, 

16* 


18§  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

that  the  others  should  not  hear  what  is  said.     When  one 
has  done,  another  begins.     But  generally,  they  confess 
in  front  of  the  chair,  one  after  another,  for  thus  the  con- 
fessor  has   the   opportunity  of  knowing   the   penitent. 
And  if  any  ladies,  from  bashfulness  or  modesty,  endeavor 
to  hide  their  faces  with  a  fan  or  veil,  yet  they  will  be  dis- 
covered by  the  confessor,  who,  if  curious,  will  by  crafty 
questions  bring  them  to  tell  their  names  and  houses,  and 
this  in  the  very  act  of  confession  ;  or  else  he  examines 
their  faces  when  confession  is  over,  while  the  penitents 
are  kissing  his  hand  or  sleeve.     And  if  he  cannot  know 
them  in  this  way,  he  goes  himself  to  give  the  sacrament, 
and  then,  every  one  being  obliged  to  uncover  the  face, 
each  person  is  known  by  the  confessor,  who  does  this 
not  without  a  private  design,  as  will  appear  at  the  end  of 
some  private  confessions."     The  priests  can  very  easily 
accommodate  themselves  to  persons  and  circumstances, 
so  as  to  treat  some  with  great  lenity,  and  others  with 
as  great  severity,  just  as  one  or  the  other  will  answer 
their  purpose.     If  a  poor  countryman  goes  to  confess, 
the  confessor  takes  little  pains  with  him,  for  he  expects 
little  or  nothing  from  him.     If  a  soldier  goes  to  make 
his  peace  with  God,  (for  so  they  speak  of  confession,) 
then  the  confessor  showeth  the  power  of  a  spiritual  guide. 
He  questions  him  particularly  about  theft,  drunkenness, 
and  uncleanness.     If  he  is  guilty  of  one,  the  confessor 
draws  the  inference  that  he  is  guilty  of  the  rest ;  and 
terrifying  him  with  the  devils  and  flames  of  hell,  he 
charges  him  to  make  restitution,  and  that  he  must  pay 
so  mubh  money  for  the  relief  of  the  souls  in  purgatory, 
or  he  cannot  obtain  absolution.     A  month's  pay  must  be 
given  on  the  spot,  (for  absolution  is  a  cash  article,)  to  ap- 
pease the  confessor  and  obtain  pardon.     If  a  collegian 
goes  to  confess,  he  finds  a  mild  and  sweet  confessor  ;  and 
without  being  questioned,  and  with  a  small  penance,  he 
obtains  absolution.     In  this  case  the  confessor  is  called  a 
deaf  confessor,  because,  as  if  he  did  not  hear,  he  gives 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  187 

small  penance,  little  correction,  and  never  denies  absolu- 
tion. One  such  confessor  has  more  business  in  lent  than 
twenty  others.  All  the  great  and  habitual  sinners  go  to 
the  deaf  confessor,  who  gives,  upon  agreement  for  so 
much,  a  certificate,  in  which  he  says  that  such  an  one  has 
fulfilled  the  commandment  of  the  church  ;  for  every  per- 
son is  obliged  to  produce  a  certificate  of  confession  to  the 
minister  of  the  parish  before  Easter,  or  be  exposed  in  the 
church.  So,  as  it  is  a  hard  thing  for  an  old  sinner  to  get 
absolution  and  a  certificate  from  other  covetous  confes- 
sors, without  a  great  deal  of  money,  they  generally  go 
to  the  deaf  confessors.  But  such  confessors  must  give 
two  thirds  of  their  income  to  the  convent  to  which  they 
belong.  Two  such  confessors  paid  in  one  lent  to  the 
father  of  the  convent,  six  hundred  pistoles  apiece.  If  a 
modest,  serious,  religious  lady  comes  to  confession,  the 
confessor  treats  her  in  a  different  manner  ;  for  he  knows 
that  such  ladies  never  come  to  confession  without  giving 
liberally  for  masses.  His  care,  then,  is  to  ingratiate 
himself  into  her  favor,  and  gain  her  confidence.  This 
he  does  by  making  a  show  of  his  goodness  and  devotion* 
He  speaks  gravely  and  conscientiously,  and  if  she  has 
a  family,  he  gives  her  good  advice  for  the  management 
of  her  household,  and  to  keep  her  children  within  the 
bounds  of  sobriety  and  decency  in  this  deceitful  world. 
By  such  means  he  gains  confidence,  and  becomes  the 
guide  of  her  soul,  and  of  her  family ;  which  confidence, 
when  occasion  serves,  he  fails  not  to  use  to  his  advantage^ 
and  most  commonly  for  the  ruin  of  the  children,  and 
often  of  the  lady  herself.  Particular  examples  of  this 
kind  are  mentioned  by  authors,  and  might  be  here  rer 
corded.  But  it  may  be  better  to  present  the  general  as- 
pects of  this  practice,  as  the  statement  will  then  be  less 
liable  to  the  charge  of  partiality.  The  crime  of  solicitant 
became  so  common  and  public  in  Spain  at  a  certain  pe- 
riod, that  the  pope  was  compelled  to  issue  a  bull  against 
it.     Solicitant  is  a  priest,  who,  at  the  time  of  confession. 


188  HISTORY    OF    POPERi*. 

solicits  persons  to  indecent  acts.  The  following  are  the 
words  of  the  bull  relative  to  this  subject : — *'  Whereas, 
certain  ecclesiastics  in  the  kingdom  of  Spain  and  the  dio- 
cesses  and  cities  thereof,  having  the  care  of  souls,  or  ex- 
ercising this  care  for  others,  or  otherwise  deputed  to  hear 
the  confessions  of  penitents,  have  broken  out  into  such 
heinous  acts  of  iniquity,  as  to  abuse  the  sacrament  of 
penance,  in  the  very  act  of  hearing  confessions,  not  fear- 
ing to  injure  the  same  sacrament,  and  him  who  instituted 
it,  our  Lord  God,  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  by  enticing 
and  provoking,  or  trying  to  entice  and  provoke,  females 
to  lewd  actions,  at  the  very  time  when  they  were  making 
their  confessions." 

When  this  bull  was  introduced  into  Spain,  the  inqui- 
sitors published  a  solemn  edict  in  all  the  churches  in  the 
archbishopric  of  Seville,  that  any  person  knowing  or 
having  heard  of  any  friar  or  priest's  having  abused  the 
sacrament  of  confession,  or  in  any  manner  having  im- 
properly conducted  himself,  during  the  confession  of  a 
female  penitent,  should  make  a  discovery  thereof  within 
thirty  days  to  the  holy  tribunal,  on  penalty  of  very  heavy 
censures  for  neglect.  When  this  edict  was  published, 
such  a  number  of  females  crowded  to  the  palace  of  the 
inquisitor,  only  in  the  city  of  Seville,  to  complain  of  the 
conduct  of  their  confessors,  that  twenty  notaries  and  as 
many  inquisitors  were  appointed  to  minute  down  their 
several  informations.  But  these  being  found  insufficient, 
to  receive  the  depositions  of  so  many  witnesses,  and  the 
inquisitors  being  overwhelmed  with  the  pressure,  thirty 
days  more  were  allowed,  and  this  period  proving  inade- 
quate, a  similar  extension  of  the  season  was  granted  a 
third  and  fourth  time.  The  ladies  of  rank  and  noble 
families  had  a  difficult  part  to  act  on  this  occasion.  On 
the  one  hand  was  a  religious  fear  of  incurring  the  threat- 
ened censures.  This  goaded  their  consciences  so  as  to 
compel  them  to  the  disclosure.  On  the  other  hand,  a 
regard  to  their  husbands,  whom  they  feared  to  offend,  by 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  189 

furnishing  reasons  of  suspicion  respecting  their  private 
conduct.  To  obviate  these  difficulties,  they  had  recourse 
to  the  measure  of  covering  their  faces  with  a  veil,  ac- 
cording to  the  fashion  of  Spain,  and  thus  went  to  the  in- 
quisitors, in  the  most  secret  manner  they  could  adopt. 
Very  few,  however,  escaped  the  vigilance  of  their  hus- 
bands, who,  on  being  informed  of  the  discoveries  and 
accusations  made  by  their  wives,  were  filled  with  suspi- 
cions !  And  yet,  after  all  this  parade  of  examination, 
and  this  accumulated  proof,  the  holy  tribunal,  contraty 
to  general  expectation,  put  an  end  to  the  business,  by 
ordering  that  all  these  transactions  should  thenceforth  be 
consigned  to  perpetual  oblivion.  In  doing  this  they 
made  themselves  partakers  of  the  guilt,  and  fixed  the 
stain  indelibly  on  the  cause  of  popery.  The  wives  had 
still  to  bear  the  effrontery  and  insults  of  their  confessors, 
and  the  husbands,  poor  helpless  souls,  must  sit  down 
contented  with  what  popish  priests  were  disposed  to 
grant  them. 

A  popish  priest,  in  his  dying  confession,  according  to 
Mr.  Gavin,  acknowledged  that,  for  twelve  years,  he  be- 
longed to  a  club  of  priests,  six  in  number,  residing  in 
contiguous  parishes.  "Every  one,"  he  said,  "  had  a  list 
of  the  handsomest  women  in  his  parish.  And  when 
they  had  a  fancy  to  see  any  one  of  them,  the  priest  of  the 
parish  sent  for  her  to  his  own  house,  under  some  religious 
pretext,  and  had  her  introduced  to  his  brother  priests.  In 
this  way,"  said  he,  "  we  have  served  each  other  for  twelve 
years  past.  Our  manner  was  to  persuade  their  husbands 
and  fathers  not  to  hinder  them  any  spiritual  comfort,  and 
to  the  ladies,  to  be  subject  to  our  advice  and  will,  and  we 
promised  that  in  doing  so,  they  should  have  liberty  at 
any  time  to  go  out  on  pretence  of  communicating  some 
spiritual  business  to  the  priest ;  and  if  they  refused  to  do 
it,  then  we  would  speak  to  their  fathers  or  husbands  not  to 
let  them  go  out  at  all ;  or,  what  would  be  worse  for  them,  we 
would  inform  against  them  to  the  holy  tribunal  of  the  in- 


190  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

quisition."  Such  are  some  of  the  tragical  and  moral  abuses 
of  auricular  confession.  But  the  transaction  often  as- 
sumes a  very  ludicrous  and  comical  aspect.  The  chil- 
dren in  each  parish  are  expected  to  come  to  confession 
from  seven  years  old,  at  least  once  in  a  year.  For  this  pur- 
pose the  priest  of  the  parish  fixes  upon  one  day  of  the  week, 
about  the  middle  of  lent,  to  hear  the  children's  confessions, 
and  gives  notice  to  the  congregation  the  Sunday  before, 
that  every  father  of  a  family  may  send  his  children,  both 
boys  and  girls,  to  church  on  the  day  appointed.  The 
mothers  dress  their  children  in  their  best  for  the  occa- 
sion, and  give  them  the  offering  money  for  the  expiation 
of  their  sins.  That  afternoon  is  a  holy  day  in  the  parish 
by  custom  ;  for  no  parishioner,  either  old  or  young,  man 
or  woman,  fails  to  go  and  hear  the  children's  confessions. 
For  it  is  reckoned  among  them  a  greater  diversion  than 
a  comedy,  as  would  appear  from  the  following  account. 

"  The  day  appointed,  the  children  repair  to  the  church 
at  3  o'clock,  where  the  priest  is  waiting  for  them,  with  a 
long  reed  in  his  hand ;  and  when  all  are  together,  the 
reverend  father  placeth  them  in  a  circle  around  himself, 
and  then  kneeling  down,  the  children  also  doing  the 
same,  he  makes  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and  says  a  short 
prayer.  This  done,  he  exhorts  the  children  to  hide  no 
sin  from  him,  but  to  tell  him  all  they  ever  committed. 
Then  he  touches  with  the  reed  the  child  who  is  first  to 
confess,  and  asks  him  the  following  questions.  How 
long  is  it  since  you  last  confessed  ?  Child.  Father,  a 
whole  year,  or  the  last  lent.  How  many  sins  have  you 
committed  from  that  time  till  now  ?  Child.  Two  dozen. 
{Here  the  confessor  puts  the  question  round.)  And  you? 
Child.  A  thousand  and  ten.  Another  will  say  a  bag 
full  of  small  lies,  and  ten  big  sins.  And  so  one  after 
another  answers  many  such  childish  things.  Confessor. 
But  pray,  you  say  you  have  committed  ten  big  sins ; 
tell  me  how  big  ?  Child.  As  big  as  a  tree.  Conf  But 
tell  me  the  sins.     Child.  There  is  one  sin  I  committed, 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  191 

which  I  dare  not  tell  your  reverence  before  all  the  peo- 
ple; for  somebody  here  will  kill  me  if  he  hear  it.  Conf. 
Well  then,  come  out  of  the  circle  and  tell  me,  Then 
both  go  oat,  and  with  a  loud  voice,  he  tells  him  that 
such  a  day  he  stole  a  nest  of  sparrows  from  the  tree  of 
another  boy,  and  that  if  he  knew  it  he  would  kill  him. 
Then  both  come  again  into  the  circle,  and  the  holy  fa- 
ther asks  other  boys  and  girls  so  many  ridiculous  ques- 
tions, and  the  children  answer  him  so  many  pleasant 
things,  that  the  congregation  is  kept  in  a  laugh  all  the 
while.  One  will  say  that  his  sins  are  red,  another  that 
one  of  his  sins  is  white,  another  black,  and  another 
green.  In  this  trifling  manner  they  spend  two  hours. 
When  the  congregation  is  weary  of  laughing,  the  con- 
fessor gives  the  children  correction,  and  bids  them  not 
sin  any  more,  for  a  black  boy  takes  along  with  him  the 
wicked  children.  Then  he  asks  for  the  offering,  and 
after  he  has  got  all  their  money,  he  gives  them  the 
penance  for  their  sins.  To  one  he  says,  I  give  you  for 
penance  to  eat  a  sweet  cake ;  to  another,  to  go  to  school 
the  next  day ;  to  another,  to  desire  his  mother  to  buy 
him  a  new  hat ;  and  such  things  as  these.  Then  pro- 
nouncing the  words  of  absolution,  he  dismisses  the  as- 
sembly with  an  amen.  This  is  repeated  year  after  year. 
Such  is  the  popish  sacrament  of  confession. 

It  still  remains,  under  the  head  of  penance,  to  say 
something  oi  satisfaction,  which  is  considered  the  third 
branch  of  penance.  "  Every  species  of  satisfaction,"  says 
the  popish  catechism,  "is  included  under  these  three, 
sprayer,  fasting,  and  alms-deeds.''^  The  first  of  these  re- 
spects God,  and  is  easily  gone  through,  by  saying  over 
so  many  Ave  Marias,  or  hail  Mary  ;  and  so  many  pa- 
ter nosters,  or  our  father.  This  is  called  prayer,  and  the 
efficacy  of  it  depends  on  the  nrumber  of  times  in  which 
it  is  repeated.  A  small  offender  may  get  off'  with  a  few 
repetitions,  but  an  old  obstinate  sinner,  and  especially 
one  who  has  in  any  manner  offended  the  priest,  may 


192  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

have  to  repeat  them  thousands  of  times,  and  to  count  his 
beads  that  he  may  keep  a  correct  account.  But  fasting 
is  a  more  serious  business.  For  this  is  rendered  more 
efficacious  by  self-torture,  or  the  voluntary  infliction  of 
suffering.  And  the  power  of  description  fails  to  depict 
the  forms  and  variety  of  these  self-tortures.  They  will 
be  more  particularly  considered  under  the  head  of  popish 
superstitions.  For  the  present  suffice  it  to  say,  that  open 
the  popish  breviary,  at  any  of  the  pages  containing  the 
lives  of  the  saints,  and  you  will  find  uninterrupted  absti- 
nence from  food,  from  ash  Wednesday  to  Whitsunday, 
persevered  in  to  admiration,  and  sanctioned  too  by  the 
power  of  miracles.  Sometimes  satisfaction  requires  four 
years'  confinement  to  a  crevice  of  a  rock,  and  every 
where  the  use  of  flagellation,  lacerating  bandages,  iron 
chains  about  the  body,  immersions  in  freezing  water,  and 
every  method  of  gradually  and  painfully  destroying  life. 
St.  Theresa's  ardor  in  punishing  the  body  was  so  vehe- 
ment as  to  make  her  use  hair  shirts,  nettles,  scourges, 
and  even  to  roll  herself  among  thorns,  regardless  of 
a  diseased  constitution.  St.  Rose  bore  day  and  night, 
three  folds  of  an  iron  chain  about  her  waist,  a  belt  set  with 
small  needles,  and  an  iron  crown,  armed  inside  with 
points.  She  made  to  herself  a  bed  of  the  unpolished 
trunks  of  trees,  and  filled  up  the  interstices  with  pieces  of 
broken  pottery.  These  persons  are  held  up  as  examples 
and  patterns  of  piety. 

But  the  alms  deeds,  necessary  for  the  satisfaction  for 
sin,  are  the  most  difficult  of  all.  For  here  the  priest,  in 
assigning  the  penance,  does  not  forget  that  he  has  the 
bag,  and  bears  all  that  is  put  therein.  The  poor  sin- 
ner, if  he  has  any  money,  must  not  expect  to  have  his 
sins  pardoned  without  the  loss  of  the  greater  part.  And 
if  he  has  much  money,  or  is  in  the  way  to  get  it,  he  may 
calculate  at  confession  to  have  his  pockets  relieved  ol 
their  burden.  Money  and  women  seem  to  constitute  the 
grand  desideratum   with   popish  priests,   and  Solomon 


HISTORY    OF    POPERV.  193 

might  with  propriety,  and  probably,  would  if  he  had 
known  them,  have  added  them  to  his  list  of  things  which 
never  say,  '' it  is  enough.^'' 

Indulgences,  have  an  intimate  connection  with  the 
subject  of  this  section.  The  theory  of  indulgences,  has 
been  already  stated  in  the  history  of  their  prevalence, 
and  some  account  given  of  their  effects.  All  that  need 
here  be  said,  is  that  these  indulgences,  are  merely  a 
device  to  extort  more  money  from  those  who  confess,  as 
a  substitute  for  the  requisitions  of  penance.  If  a  man 
pays  money  enough,  he  may  hire  a  monk  to  pray  for 
him,  and  fast  for  him,  and  endure  all  his  other  punish- 
ments. So  that  by  indulgences,  the  whole  of  penance 
for  sin  is  turned  into  the  payment  of  money.  And  as 
these  indulgences  in  the  feelings  of  papists,  clear  them 
from  sin  and  all  its  consequences,  it  may  be  truly  said,  that 
popery  buys  and  sells  salvation  as  an  article  of  traffic 
for  money.  This,  whatever  plausible  theories  may  be 
advanced  to  the  contrary,  will  be  found  by  all  who  ex- 
amine the  subject,  the  true  state  of  the  case.  This  doc- 
trine of  penance,  including  confession  and  satisfaction, 
arms  the  popish  priesthood  with  a  tremendous  power. 
It  makes  them  directors  of  the  consciences  of  men,  and 
arms  them  with  all  the  sanctions  of  eternal  retribution, 
or  at  least,  of  indefinite  retribution  in  purgatory,  by 
which  they  compel  obedience  to  their  commands.  The 
awful  majesty  of  the  priest  in  this  case,  may  well  affright 
the  trembling  penitent.  He  stands  in  the  place  of  God 
to  him,  and  holds,  in  his  apprehension,  the  keys  of  hea- 
ven and  hell.  The  following  letter  will  show  that  this 
is  not  all  chimera,  but  sober  reality.  The  letter  is  from 
father  La  Chaise,  confessor  to  Louis  XIV.  of  France,  to 
father  Peters,  confessor  to  James  II.,  in  England,  in 
1688.  It  was  taken  from  the  manuscript  papers  in  the 
library  of  Edward  Harley,  earl  of  Oxford. 

"Worthy  friend,  I  received  yours  of  the  20th  of  June 
last,   and  am  glad  to  hear  of  your  good  success,  and 

17 


194  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

that  our  party  gains  ground  so  fast  in  England  ;  but 
concerning  the   question  you  have  put  to  me,  that  is, 
'  What  is  the  best  course   to  be  taken  to  root  out  all  here- 
tics^^  to  this  I  answer,  there  are   divers  ways  to  do  that, 
but  we  must  consider  which  is  the  best  to  make  use  of 
in  England.     I  am  sure  you  are  not  ignorant  how  many 
thousand  heretics,  we  have  in  France,  by  the  power  of 
our  dragoons,  converted  in  the  space  of  one  year  ;  and 
by  the  doctrine  of  these  booted  apostles,  turned  more  in 
one  year,  than   Christ   and  his  apostles   could   in   ten 
years.     This  is  a  most  excellent  method,  and  far  excels 
those   of  the  great   preachers  and  teachers,   that   have 
lived  since  the  time  of  Christ.     But  I  have  spoken  with 
divers  fathers  of  our  Society,   who  do  think  that  your 
king  is  not  strong  enough  to  accomplish  this  design  by 
such   kind  of  force ;  so  that  we  cannot  expect  to  have 
our  work  done  in  that  manner,  for  the  heretics  are  too 
strong  for  the  three  kingdoms  ;  and,  therefore,  we  must 
seek  to  convert   them   by  fair    means,    before  we  fall 
upon  them  with  fire  and  sword,  halters,  goals,  and  other 
such  like  punishments.     And,  therefore,  I  can  give  you 
no  better  advice  than  to  begin  with   soft,  easy  means. 
Wheedle  them  by  promises  of  profit  and  places  of  honor, 
till  you  have  made  them  dip  themselves  into  treasonable 
practices  against  the  laws  established,  and  then  they  are 
bound  to  serve  from  fear.     When  they  have  done  thus. 
turn  them  out,  and  serve  others  so  by  putting  them  in 
their  places,  and  by  this  way  gain  as  many  as  you  can. 
And   for  the  heretics  that  are   in  places  of  profit  and 
honor,  turn  them  out,  or   suspend  them  on  pretence  of 
misbehaviour,  by  which  their  places  are  forfeited  ;  and 
they  subject  to  what  judgment  you  please  to  give  upon 
them.     Then   you  must  form  a  camp  that  must  consist 
of  none  but    catholics.     This   will  make   the   heretics 
heartless,  and  conclude  that  the  means  of  relief  and  re- 
covery are  gone.     And  lastly,  take   the  short  and  the 
best  way,  which  is  to  surprise  the  heretics  on  a   sud- 


I 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  195 

den,  and  to  encourage  the  zealous  catholics,  let  them  sa- 
crifice all,  and  wash  their  hands  in  their  blood,  which 
will  be  an  acceptable  offering  to  God.  And  this  was 
the  method  I  took  in  France,  which  hath  well,  you  see» 
succeeded ;  but  it  cost  me  many  threats  and  promises, 
before  I  could  bring  it  thus  far  ;  our  king  being  a  long 
time  very  unwilling.     But  at  last,  I  got  him  on  the  hip ; 

for  he  had  the  ,  for  which  I  would  by  no  means 

give  him  absolution,  till  he  had  given  me  an  instrument 
under  his  own  hand  and  seal,  to  sacrifice  the  heretics 
all  in  one  day.  Now,  as  soon  as  I  had  my  desired  com- 
mission, I  appointed  the  day  when  this  should  be  done  ; 
and  in  the  mean  time,  made  ready  some  thousands  of 
letters  to  be  sent  into  all  parts  of  France,  in  one  post 
night.  I  was  never  better  pleased  than  at  that  time.  But 
the  king  was  affected  with  some  compassion  for  the  Hu- 
gonots,  because  they  had  been  a  means  of  bringing  him 
to  his  crown  and  throne  ;  and  the  longer  he  was  under 
it,  the  more  sorrowful  he  was,  often  complaining,  and  de- 
siring me  to  give  him  his  commission  again.  But  that  I 
would  by  no  persuasion  do  ;  advising  him  to  repent  of 
that  heinous  sin,  and  also  telling  him,  that  the  trouble  and 
horror  of  his  spirit,  did  not  proceed  from  any  thing  evil 
in  those  things  which  were  to  be  done,  but  from  the 
wickedness  he  had  done  ;  and  that  he  must  resolve  to 
undergo  the  severe  burden  of  a  troubled  mind,  for  one  of 
them  or  for  the  other,  and  if  he  would  remain  satisfied 
as  it  was,  his  sin  being  forgiven,  there  would  in  a  few 
days  be  a  perfect  atonement  made  for  it,  and  be  per- 
fectly reconciled  to  God  again.  But  all  this  would  not 
pacify  him  ;  for  the  longer  the  more  restless.  I  there- 
fore ordered  him  to  retire  to  his  closet,  and  spend  his 
time  constantly  in  prayer,  without  permitting  any  one  ta 
interrupt  him  ;  and  this  was  in  the  morning  early,  when 
in  the  evening  I  was  to  send  away  all  my  letters.  I  did 
indeed,  make  the  more  haste  for  fear  he  would  disclose  it 
to  any  body ;  yet,  I  had  given  him  strict  charge  to  keep 


196  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

it  to  himself.  And  the  very  things  v/hich  I  most  feared, 
to  my  great  sorrow  came  to  pass.  For  just  at  the  nick 
of  time,  the  devil,  who  hath  at  all  times  his  instruments 
at  work,  sent  the  prince  of  Conde,  to  the  court,  who 
asked  for  the  king.  He  was  told  that  he  was  in  his 
closet  and  would  speak  with  no  man.  He  impudently 
answered,  that  he  must  and  would  speak  with  him,  and 
so  went  directly  to  his  closet,  he  being  a  great  peer,  no 
man  durst  hinder  him.  And  being  come  to  the  king, 
he  soon  perceived  by  his  countenance  that  he  was  under 
some  great  trouble  of  mind,  for  he  looked  as  if  he  had 
been  going  into  the  other  world  immediately.  'Sire, 
said  he,  what  is  the  matter  with  you  V  The  king  at  the 
first  refused  to  tell  him,  but  he  pressing  harder  upon 
him,  at  last,  the  king  with  a  sorrowful  complaint  burst 
out  and  said,  *  I  have  given  father  La  Chaise,  a  com- 
mission under  my  hand  to  murder  all  the  Hugonots  in 
one  day,  and  this  evening  will  the  letters  be  despatched 
to  all  parts,  by  the  post,  for  performing  of  it ;  so  that 
there  is  but  a  small  time  left  for  my  Hugonot  subjects  to 
live,  who  have  never  done  me  any  harm.'  Whereupon 
this  cursed  rogue  answered,  let  him  give  you  your  com- 
mission again.  The  king  said  how  shall  I  get  it  out  of 
his  hand  ?  For  if  I  send  to  him  for  it  he  will  refuse  to 
send  it.  This  devil  answered,  if  your  majesty  will  give 
me  an  order,  I  will  quickly  make  him  return  it.  The 
king  was  soon  persuaded,  being  willing  to  give  ease  to 
his  troubled  spirit,  and  said,  '  well  go  then,  and  break 
his  neck  if  he  will  not  give  it  you.'  Whereupon  this 
son  of  the  devil,  went  to  the  post-house  and  inquired  if 
I  had  not  a  great  number  of  letters  there  ?  And  they 
said  yes,  more  than  I  had  sent  in  a  whole  year  before. 
Then  said  the  prince,  by  an  order  from  the  king  you 
must  deliver  them  all  to  me,  which  they  durst  not  deny> 
for  they  knew  well  enough  who  he  was.  And  no  sooner 
was  he  got  into  the  post-house  and  asked  these  questions, 
than  I  came  in  also  after  him,  to  give  order  to  the  post- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  197 

master,  to  give  notice  to  all  those  under  him  in  the  several 
parts  of  the  kingdom,  that  they  should  take  care  to  de- 
liver my  letters  with  all  the  speed  imaginable.  But  I 
was  no  sooner  entered  the  house,  but  he  gave  his  ser- 
vants orders  to  secure  the  door,  and  said  confidently  to 
me,  you  must,  by  order  from  the  king,  give  me  the  com- 
mission which  you  have  forced  from  him.  I  told  him  I 
had  it  not  about  me,  but  would  go  and  fetch  it,  thinking 
to  get  from  him  and  so  get  out  of  town,  and  send  the 
contents  of  these  letters  another  time.  But  he  said,  you 
must  give  it,  and  if  you  have  it  not  about  you,  send 
somebody  to  fetch  it,  or  else  never  expect  to  go  alive  out 
of  my  hands.  For  I  have  an  order  from  the  king,  either 
to  fetch  it  or  break  your  neck,  and  I  am  resolved,  either 
to  carry  that  back  to  him  in  my  hand,  or  else  your 
heart's  blood  on  the  point  of  my  sword.  I  would  have 
made  my  escape,  but  he  set  his  sword  to  my  breast,  and 
said,  you  must  give  it  me  or  die,  therefore  deliver  it,  or 
this  goes  through  your  body.  So  when  I  saw  nothing 
else  would  do,  I  put  my  hand  in  my  pocket  and  gave  it 
him,  which  he  carried  immediately  to  the  king,  and  gave 
him  that  and  all  my  letters  which  they  burned.  And 
being  all  done,  the  king  said,  now  his  heart  was  at  ease. 
Now  how  he  should  be  eased  by  the  devil,  or  so  well  sa- 
tisfied with  a  false  joy  I  cannot  tell ;  but  this  I  know 
that  it  was  a  very  wicked  and  ungodly  action,  as  well  in 
his  majesty,  as  in  the  prince  of  Conde,  and  very  much 
increased  the  burden  and  danger  of  his  majesty's  sins. 
I  soon  gave  account  of  this  aflfair  to  several  fathers  of 
our  society,  who  promised  to  do  their  best,  to  prevent  the 
aforesaid  prince's  doing  another  such  act,  which  was  ac- 
cordingly done.  For  within  six  days  he  was  poisoned, 
and  well  he  deserved  it.  The  king  also  did  suffer  too, 
but  in  another  fashion,  for  disclosing  the  design  unto  the 
prince  and  hearkening  to  his  councils.  Many  a  time 
since,  when  I  have  had  him  at  confession,  have  I  shook 
hell  about  his  ears,  and  made  him  sigh,  fear  and  tremble, 

17* 


198  HISTORY    OF    POPERYo 

before  I  would  give  him  absolution  ;  nay,  more  thaw 
that,  I  have  made  him  beg  for  it  on  his  knees,  before  I 
would  consent  to  absolve  him.  By  this  I  saw  that  he 
had  still  an  inclination  to  me,  and  was  willing  to  be  under 
my  government,  so  I  set  the  baseness  of  his  sin  before 
him,  by  telling  the  whole  story,  and  how  wicked  it  was, 
and  that  it  could  not  be  forgiven  till  he  had  done  some 
good  action  to  balance  that  and  expiate  the  crime. 
Whereupon  he  at  last  asked  me  what  he  must  do  ?  I 
told  him  he  must  root  out  all  the  heretics  from  his  king- 
dom. So  when  he  saw  there  was  no  rest  for  him 
without  doing  it,  he  did  again  give  them  all  into  the 
power  of  me  and  our  clergy,  under  this  condition,  that 
we  should  not  murder  them,  as  he  had  before  given 
orders,  but  that  we  should,  by  fair  means  or  force,  convert 
them  to  the  catholic  religion.  Now  when  we  got  the 
commission,  we  presently  put  it  in  practice,  and  what 
the  issue  hath  been,  you  very  well  know.  But  now  in 
England  the  work  cannot  be  done  after  this  manner,  as 
you  may  perceive  from  what  I  have  said  to  you,  so  that 
I  cannot  give  you  better  counsel  than  to  take  that  course 
in  hand,  wherein  we  were  so  unhappily  prevented,  and 
I  doubt  not  but  it  may  have  better  success  with  you  than 
with  us. 

"  I  would  write  to  you  of  many  other  things,  but  I  fear 
I  have  already  detained  you  too  long,  wherefore  I  will 
write  no  more  at  present,  but  that  I  am 

Your  friend  and  servant, 
Paris^  July  8,  1688.  La  Chaise." 

Such  is  the  power  committed  to  the  hands  of  a  few 
popish  priests,  by  what  they  call  the  sacrament  of  penance. 
Certainly  it  is  one  of  the  very  worst  features  of  popery. 
And  those  who  can  be  reconciled  to  it,  can  be  to  any 
thing  deceitful,  inhuman,  and  diabolical.  Perhaps  some 
one  may  ask,  why  not  flee  from  such  influence  at  once  ? 
Do  not  some  papists  perceive  the  thraldom  in  which  they 
live,  and  if  so,  why  do  they  remain  a  day,  or  submit  to 


HISTORY    OF    POPERV.  199 

its  tyranny  1  In  reply  to  this  inquiry,  which  is  a  very 
natural  one  for  those  who  do  not  fully  understand  the 
toils  of  popery,  the  following  letter  from  one  who  felt  a  de- 
sire to  escape,  and  yet  found  it  impracticable,  maybe  of  use. 
'*  If  every  true  born  Italian,  man,  woman,  and  child, 
within  the  pope's  dominions,  does  not  confess  and  receive 
the  communion,  at  least  once  a  year,  before  Easter,  his 
name  is  posted  up  in  the  parish  church  ;  if  he  still  refrain, 
he  is  exhorted,  entreated,  and  otherwise  tormented  ;  and  if 
he  persist  in  his  contumacy,  he  is  excommunicated,  which 
is  a  very  good  joke  to  us,  (English,)  but  none  at  all  to  the 
Italian,  since  it  involves  the  loss  of  civil  rights,  and  per- 
haps of  liberty  and  property,  (if  not  of  life.)  Every 
Italian  must  at  this  time,  (before  Easter)  confess  and  re- 
ceive the  communion.  A  friend  of  ours,  who  has  lived 
a  great  deal  in  foreign  countries,  and  there  imbibed  very 
heterodox  notions,  and  who  has  never  made  any  secret  to 
us,  of  his  confirmed  infidelity  of  Catholicism,  went 
to-day  to  confession  with  the  strongest  repugnance. 
What  can  I  do?  he  said.  If  I  neglect  it,  I  am  repri- 
manded by  the  parish  priest ;  if  I  delay  it,  my  name  is 
posted  up  in  the  parish  church  ;  if  I  persist  in  my  con- 
tumacy, the  arm  of  the  church  will  overtake  me,  and 
my  rank  and  fortune  only  serve  to  make  me  more  ob- 
noxious to  its  power.  If  I  choose  to  make  myself  a 
martyr  to  infidelity,  as  the  saints  of  old  did  to  religion, 
and  suffer  the  extremity  of  punishment  in  the  loss  of 
property  and  personal  rights,  what  is  to  be  become  of  my 
wife  and  family?  The  same  ruin  would  overtake  them 
though  they  are  catholics ;  for  I  am  obliged,  not  only  to 
conceal  my  true  belief,  and  profess  what  I  despise,  but  I 
must  bring  up  my  children  in  their  abominable  idolatries 
and  superstitions,  or,  if  I  teach  them  the  truth,  make 
them  hypocrites  or  beggars."  "  I  shall  not  enter  into  the 
soundness  of  my  friend's  arguments,  or  defend  the  recti- 
tude of  his  conduct.  But  certainly  the  alternative  is  a 
hard  one,  and  I  believe  there  are  thousands  whose  virtue 


200  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

would  not  be  proof  against  it.  For  this  reason  he  would 
not  live  a  single  day  in  Italy  if  he  could  get  out  of  it, 
but  that  is  not  in  his  power." 

The  mystery  after  all  is,  how  any  man  of  sense  and 
independence  can  value  his  wife,  or  family,  or  property, 
in  popish  countries ;  when  neither  one  nor  the  other  is 
at  his  command  or  enjoyment,  only  so  far  as  the  priests 
permit.  And  here  the  subject  will  be  left  to  the  serious 
reflections  of  the  reader. 

5.  Mass. 

The  mass  is  the  communion  service,  or  consecration 
and  administration  of  the  sacramental  supper.  High 
mass  is  the  same  service,  accompanied  with  all  the  cere- 
monies which  custom  and  authority  have  annexed  to  its 
celebration.  The  origin  of  the  term  is  this.  In  the 
early  ages  of  the  church,  the  congregation  was  dis- 
missed by  the  officiating  minister  by  saying,  ita  missa  est, 
that  is,  the  congregation  is  dismissed  before  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  Lord's  supper,  so  that  none  but  communicants 
might  be  suffered  to  remain.  In  process  of  time,  the 
solem^n  service  to  be  performed,  was  in  consequence  of 
this  practice  called  the  "  missa  est,^^  or  the  dismissal ; 
and  finally,  by  contraction,  the  mass.  The  peculiarity 
of  the  mass  as  a  doctrine  of  popery  is,  that  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  Lord's  supper  is  not  a  commemoration  of  the 
death  and  sacrifice  of  Christ  upon  the  cross,  but  that  it  is 
itself  a  renewed  and  real  sacrifice  of  Christ,  an  actual 
offering  of  his  body  and  blood  by  the  hands  of  the  priest. 
For  this,  it  will  be  seen,  the  doctrine  of  transubstantiation 
prepares  the  way.  The  mass  is  then  regarded  by  all 
true  papists  as  a  real  sacrifice  of  Christ,  as  really  such 
as  when  he  was  crucified.  The  following  decrees  of  the 
council  of  Trent  will  explain  the  popish  views  of  this 
ceremony,  viz.  L  Of  the  institution  of  the  most  holy  sa- 
crifice of  the  mass.  "  Since  there  was  no  perfection 
under  the  first  testament,  as  the  apostle  Paul  testifies,  be- 
cause of  the  weakness  of  the  Levitical  priesthood,  it 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  201 

behoved  God,  the  father  of  mercies,  to  ordain  that 
another  priest  should  arise,  after  the  order  of  Melchi- 
sedek,  even  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  might  complete 
and  bring  to  perfection  as  many  as  should  be  sanctified. 
He  therefore,  our  God  and  Lord,  when  about  to  offer 
himself  once  for  all  to  God  the  Father,  by  his  death  on 
the  altar  of  the  cross,  that  there  he  might  accomplish 
eternal  redemption,  knowing  that  his  priesthood  was  not 
to  be  abolished  by  death,  in  the  last  supper,  on  the  night 
in  which  he  was  betrayed,  declared  himself  to  be  consti- 
tuted a  priest  forever,  after  the  order  of  Melchisedek  ; 
offered  his  body  and  blood  to  God  the  Father,  under  the 
species  of  bread  and  wine,  and  by  these  symbols  deli- 
vered the  same  to  be  received  by  his  apostles,  whom  he 
then  appointed  priests  of  the  new  testament,  and  com- 
manded them  and  their  successors  in  the  priesthood  to 
oflfer  the  same,  saying,  '  This  do  for  a  commemoration 
of  me.'  Thus  the  catholic  church  always  understood 
and  taught  this  doctrine.  And  this  the  Saviour  did,  that 
he  might  leave  to  his  beloved  spouse  the  church,  a  visible 
sacrifice,  such  as  human  nature  required,  by  which  the 
bloody  sacrifice  made  on  the  cross  might  be  represented, 
the  memory  thereof  preserved  to  the  end  of  the  world, 
and  its  salutary  virtue  applied  for  the  remission  of  those 
sins  which  are  daily  committed  by  us.  For,  as  the 
Israelites  of  old  sacrificed  the  passover,  in  memory  of 
their  departure  from  Egypt,  so  the  Redeemer  instituted 
a  new  passover,  wherein  he  is  himself  sacrificed  by  the 
church  through  the  priests  under  visible  signs.  Finally, 
this  is  the  sacrifice  which  was  figuratively  represented 
by  the  various  sacrifices  offered  in  the  times  of  nature 
and  of  the  law ;  since  it  includes  every  good  which  was 
signified  by  them,  and  is  the  consummation  and  perfection 
of  them  all.  2.  ''  The  sacrifice  of  the  mass  is  propitia- 
tory both  for  the  living  and  the  dead.  And  since  the 
same  Christ,  who  once  offered  himself  by  his  blood  on 
the  altar  of  the  cross,  is  contained  in  this  divine  sacrifice, 


202  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

which  is  celebrated  in  the  mass,  and  offered  without 
blood,  the  holy  council  teaches  that  this  sacrifice  is  really 
propitiatory,  and  made  by  Christ  himself.  For  assuredly 
God  is  appeased  by  this  oblation,  bestows  grace  and  the 
gift  of  repentance,  and  forgives  all  crimes  and  sins,  how 
great  soever ;  for  the  sacrifice  which  is  now  offered  by 
the  ministry  of  the  priests,  is  one  and  the  same  as  that 
which  Christ  then  offered  on  the  cross,  only  the  mode  of 
offering  is  different.  Wherefore  it  is  properly  offered 
according  to  apostolic  tradition,  (not  the  divine  word) 
not  only  for  the  sins,  punishments,  and  satisfactions, 
and  other  necessities  of  living  believers,  but  also  for  the 
dead  in  Christ,  who  are  not  yet  thoroughly  purified, 
(i.  e^  in  purgatory.)  5.  Of  the  solemn  ceremonies  of  the 
sacrifice  of  the  mass.  "Seeing  that  such  is  the  nature 
of  man,  that  he  cannot  easily  be  raised  to  the  contem- 
plation of  divine  things  without  external  aid,  holy  mother 
church  has  instituted  certain  rites,  as  for  instance,  that 
some  parts  of  the  mass  should  be  spoken  in  a  low  tone 
of  voice,  others  in  a  louder.  Ceremonies  are  also  used, 
such  as  mystical  benedictions,  lights,  incense,  vestments, 
and  others  of  the  same  kind,  gathered  from  apostolic  dis- 
cipline and  tradition,  whereby  the  majesty  of  this  great 
sacrifice  is  set  forth,  and  by  these  visible  signs  of  religion 
and  piety,  the  minds^of  the  faithful  are  excited  to  the  con- 
templation of  deep  truths,  which  are  therein  contained.'* 
Of  the  truth  of  this  latter  remark  the  reader  will  be  better 
able  to  judge  when  he  comes  to  see  what  these  ceremo- 
nies are.  That  they  will  excite  human  nature  is  unques- 
tionable ;  but  they  will  excite  any  thing  sooner  than  piety. 
It  may  be  gratifying  to  the  reader,  before  proceeding  to 
a  view  of  the  ceremonies  of  the  mass,  to  have  a  speci- 
men of  the  argument  employed  in  support  of  this  doc- 
trine. Melchior  Cornelio,  a  Portuguese  divine,  reasoned 
thus  : — "  The  devil  is  constantly  endeavoring  to  alienate 
the  minds  of  heretics  from  the  mass,  therefore  the  mass 
is  not  an  abomination,  as   Luther  affirms,  because  ik^ 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  203 

devil  does  not  hate  abominations,  but  cherishes  them." 
One  might  turn  this  argument  to  a  little  better  purpose, 
thus  :  The  devil  is  constantly  leading  papists  to  the  sac- 
rifice of  the  mass ;  therefore,  the  mass  is  an  abomina- 
tion ;  for  whatever  the  devil  cherishes,  is  an  abomina- 
tion. Which  argument  is  best  founded  ?  If  any  doubt 
shall  remain  in  any  mind  whether  the  papists  consider 
the  mass  as  a  real  sacrifice  of  the  body  and  blood  of 
Christ,  rather  than  a  representation,  the  following  passage 
from  their  catechism  will  probably  remove  that  doubt : — 
"  We  therefore  confess  that  the  sacrifice  of  the  mass  is 
one  and  the  same  sacrifice  with  that  of  the  cross  ;  the 
victim  is  one  and  the  same,  Christ  Jesus,  who  offered 
himself  once  only,  a  bloody  sacrifice  upon  the  cross. 
The  bloody  and  unbloody  victim  is  still  one  and  the 
same,  and  the  oblation  of  the  cross  is  daily  renewed  in 
the  eucharistic  sacrifice,  in  obedience  to  the  command  of 
our  Lord.  The  priest  is  also  the  same,  Christ  our 
Lord ;  the  ministers  who  offer  this  sacrifice  consecrate 
the  holy  mysteries,  not  in  their  own,  but  in  the  person  of 
Christ.  That  the  holy  sacrifice  of  the  mass,  therefore, 
is  not  only  a  sacrifice  of  praise  and  thanksgiving,  or 
commemoration  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  cross,  but  also  a 
sacrifice  of  propitiation,  by  which  God  is  appeased  and 
rendered  propitious,  the  pastor  will  teach  as  a  dogma  de- 
fined by  the  unerring  authority  of  a  general  council  of 
the  church." 

The  following  prayer  is  presented  at  the  oblation  of 
the  host  (or  sacred  elements) : — "  Accept,  O  holy  Father, 
almighty  and  eternal  God,  this  unspotted  host,  which  I, 
thy  unworthy  servant,  offer  unto  thee,  my  living  and  true 
God,  for  my  innumerable  sins,  offences,  and  negligences, 
and  for  all  here  present,  as  also  for  all  faithful  Christians, 
both  living  and  dead,  that  it  may  avail,  both  for  me  and 
them,  to  life  everlasting.  Amen."  The  following  may 
be  added  from  popish  authorities  : — "  May  the  interces- 
sion, we  beseech  thee,  O  Lord,  of  bishop  Peter  thy  apos- 


204  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

lie,  render  the  prayers  and  offerings  of  thy  church  ac- 
ceptable to  thee,  that  the  mysteries  we  celebrate  in  his 
honor  may  obtain  for  us  the  pardon  of  our  sins."  The 
offerings  here  mentioned  is  Christ  himself  in  the  mass,  and 
the  prayer  is  that  the  Redeemer's  sacrificemay  avail  to  pro- 
cure the  pardon  of  sins  through  the  intercessions  of  Peter. 
That  is,  Christ  is  offered,  and  becomes  acceptable  through 
Peter.  Is  not  this  making  the  servant  greater  than  his 
Lord  ?  Is  it,  in  a  word,  any  thing  less  than  blasphemy  ? 
We  now  proceed  to  view  the  ceremonies  of  the  mass. 
They  are  thus  described  by  a  late  writer  :* — "  The  mass 
includes  almost  the  whole  of  the  Roman  Catholic  (popish) 
worship,  its  singular  antic  gestures,  and  an  endless  inven- 
tion of  ceremonies.  Hence,  going  to  mass  includes  nearly 
all  a  Roman's  (papist's)  religion  and  piety.  It  is  the 
grand  test  of  discipleship,  and  the  evidence  of  wearing 
the  mark  of  the  beast  in  the  hands  and  in  the  face.  Now, 
were  we  to  view  the  mass  as  a  comparatively  innocent 
innovation,  a  mere  idle  ceremony,  we  should  not  say 
much  of  it.  But  it  is  that  which  (popery)  has  substi- 
tuted   for    THE    ONE    ONLY    AND    PERFECT    ATONEMENT 

OF  Christ.  It  is  a  horrible  invention,  and  the  sub- 
stitute of  our  BLESSED  REDEEMER'S  PERFECT  RIGHTE- 
OUSNESS. It  takes  the  entire  place  of  the  one  only 
AND  blessed  Saviour.  And  it  excludes  his  "finished 
work  of  satisfaction  on  the  cross,"  as  completely  as  does 
the  Koran  of  Mohammed  exclude  our  Lord  from  the 
Mosque.  And  our  proof  of  this  strong  assertion  is  thia. 
The  MASS,  as  (papists)  solemnly  profess  it  to  be,  is  the 
offering  up  of  a  sacrifice  of  human  flesh  and  human 
blood,  for  the  sins  of  the  quick  and  the  dead,  to  pacify 
God.  And  this  substitute  of  our  Redeemer's  atonement 
is  not  only  a  horrid  anti-christian  piece  of  idolatry  and 
superstition,  as  we  have  in  former  letters  shown,  it  is  a 
show  at  which  grave  Christians  cannot  but  smile ;  and 

•  Rev.  Dr.  Brownlee,  N.  Y. 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  205 

thus,  in  the  language  of  the  motto,  it  exhibits  '  fables 
worthy  of  laughter  and  of  tears.'  The  mass,  as  viewed 
by  a  spectator,  may  be  said  to  consist  of  five  divisions. 
The  first  we  may  call  the  robing  of  the  bishop  in  his 
pontificals,  which  must  aflford  a  highly  intellectual  and 
spiritual  feast  of  soul  to  the  spectators,  and — worshipperf; 
— shall  I  call  them  ?  The  bishop  enters  the  chapel  in  a 
woollen  pontifical  cope,  which  has  its  tail  borne  up  by  a 
chaplain ;  and  going  to  the  altar,  he  kneels  down  and 
says  the  '■  Introiho,  I^will  go  in,'  (fee.  He  then  goes 
to  the  place  where  the  paramenta,  or  robes  and  orna- 
ments, are  placed,  and  seats  himself,  surrounded  by  the 
proper  quota  of  chaplains  and  deacons,  one  of  whom  acts 
as  his  prompter,  to  tell  him  what  to  say,  and  to  point  with 
his  finger  to  the  place  in  the  book  where  he  is  to  read ; 
near  them  lie  the  various  paraphernalia  and  sacred  ves- 
sels. The  attendants  having  duly  put  on  their  sanctified 
copes  and  surplices,  the  bishop  rises,  and  turning  towards 
the  altar,  says  the  Lord's  prayer  secretly  ;  then,  crossing 
himself  from  his  brow  to  his  breast,  he  says,  '  God  be 
my  helper.'  And  while  the  choir  responds,  he  turns 
towards  the  altar,  between  two  bearers  of  wax  candles, 
and  says,  '  The  Lord  be  with  you,'  and  other  prayers. 
Then  gravely  laying  aside  his  pluvial  or  cope,  he  takes 
the  ornament  called  his  planet,  and  approaches  the  ahar, 
and  sits  down,  while  the  psalm  of  the  hours  is  being 
sung.  During  the  singing,  the  holi/  sandals  are  brought 
out,  one  deacon  lifts  up  the  corner  of  his  cope,  while  an- 
other takes  ofi^  the  holy  man's  shoes  ;  then  uttering  cer- 
tain prayers,  he  at  last  says,  '  Shoe  me  with  the  sandals 
of  gladness.'  The  dutiful  deacon  then  puts  on  the  con- 
secrated sandals.  And  thus  he  answers  his  prayer. 
Then  standing  up,  he  says,  '  O  Lord,  strip  the  old  man 
oflf  me.'  The  scutiferus,  or  shield-bearer,  answers  this 
prayer  by  stripping  him  of  his  flowing  cope.  Then 
looking  at  his  hands,  he  says,  '  O  Lord,  give  virtue  to  my 
hands.'     This  grace  is  answered  by  another,  bringing  a 

18 


206  HISTORY    or    POPERY. 

basin  of  water  to  wash  his  hands  while  he  sits.  The 
towel  and  basin  are  held  by  the  most  honorable  and  ex- 
alted layman,  who,  throwing  himself  on  his  knees,  and 
pouring"  out  a  little  water  into  the  basin,  sips  and  tastes 
it.  Meanwhile,  another  of  the  ghostly  menials  is  taking 
the  consecrated  rings  off  the  bishop's  fingers  ;  and  then 
the  distinguished  layman,  rendered  immortal  by  this 
honor  allowed  him,  with  the  aid  of  a  deacon,  washes  the 
holy  bishop's  hands,  and  dries  them,  and  then  carries 
back  the  basin  and  towel  to  the  credentia.  The  bishop's 
feet  being  shod  with  the  gospel  preparation  by  putting  on 
sandals,  and  the  old  man  being  put  off  him  by  pulling 
off  his  old  woollen  cope,  and  having  washed  his  hands 
in  virtue  and  innocence  by  getting  them  washed  in  wa- 
ter, he  approaches  the  robes  and  says,  '  O  Lord,  put  on 
me  the  helmet  of  salvation.'  At  this  signal  the  para- 
menta,  or  robes  and  ornaments,  are  all  brought  forward 
with  sanctimonious  grimace — fifteen  in  number.  The 
bishop  approaches,  bows,  and  kisses  five  of  them,  viz., 
the  amictus,  the  pectoral,  the  cross,  the  stole,  and  the  pall. 
All  these  the  deacons  receive  from  the  chaplains,  one  by 
one,  and  put  upon  the  bishop.  And  first,  with  holy  so- 
lemnity, they  take  the  amictus,  and  having  all  kissed  it, 
they  put  it  over  the  bishop's  head,  and  fix  it  on  him.  His 
head  being  thus  armed  with  the  shield  of  salvatiori,  he 
stands  up  and  says, '  O  Lord,  clothe  me  in  white.'  Upon 
rhis  they  put  on  the  white  surplice.  Then  he  utters  an- 
other prayer,  while  all  the  people  look  on  with  wonderful 
edification  and  blessed  instruction,  saying,  '  O  Lord,  gird 
me  with  the  girdle  of  faith.'  On  this,  in  answer  to  his 
humble  and  devout  prayer,  the  ghostly  menials  take  his 
girdle,  and  place  it  round  his  holy  corporation,  and 
buckle  it  in  front.  Then  addressing  the  cross,  the  bishop 
thus  prays,  '  Deign,  O  Lord,  to  fortify  me.'  On  this,  the 
deacon,  in  his  sacred  functions,  takes  the  cross,  and  hold- 
ing it  up  to  the  bishop  to  be  kissed,  hangs  it  I'ound  his 
neck,  so  as  to  make  it  rest  upon  his  pure  breast.     Next, 


HISTORY    or    POPERY.  207 

the  bishop,  in  his  very  holy  devotions,  says  to  the  stole, 
'  O  Lord,  give  me  the  robe  of  immortality.'  The  dea- 
con, whose  office  it  is  to  answer  this  solemn  prayer,  now 
puts  on  the  robe,  nicely  adjusting  it,  as  a  mantua-maker's 
maid  would  do,  on  his  sacred  body.  Next,  the  saintly 
man  prays,  as  he  looks  on  the  tunicella,  or  little  coat, 
'  Put  me  in  the  coat  of  jucundity,  and  clothe  me,  0  Lord, 
with  the  garment  of  joy.'  Here  they  put  it  on  him,  fit- 
ting it,  with  mantua-maker  like  exactness,  to  his  holy 
neck  and  holy  hands.  He  next  prays  thus,  'O  Lord, 
clothe  me  with  the  garment  of  salvation.'  Here  they 
put  on  him  the  Dalmatick,  or  Episcopal  vestment,  with 
tasteful  exactness.  The  holy  man  next  fixes  his  devout 
eyes  on  the  gloves,  and  prays, '  Clothe  my  hands,  O  Lord, 
with  the  purity  of  the  new  man.'  On  this,  the  deacon, 
whose  office  it  is  to  answer  all  these  devout  prayers,  first 
kisses  his  right  hand,  and  then  puts  a  glove  on  it ; 
then  kisses  the  left,  and  puts  a  glove  on  it ;  and  so 
clothes  his  hands  with  heavenly  purity.  This  being 
over,  the  bishop  prays  another  new  prayer,  saying,  '  O 
Lord,  thy  yoke  is  easy.'  On  this,  the  spiritual  menials, 
who  are  illuminating  the  congregation  by  this  display, 
take  the  bishop's  ornament  called  the  planet,  and  bring 
it  back  so  as  to  give  his  arms  full  exercise.  The  pall  is 
next  brought ;  the  deacon  takes  a  hold  of  it  by  the  cross 
on  the  right  side,  and  the  subdeacon,  by  the  cross  on  the 
left  side,  and  hold  forth  the  cross  in  the  middle,  that  the 
bishop  may  kiss  it.  Then  they  put  it  round  his  neck, 
making  that  part  of  it  on  the  left  shoulder  to  lie  double, 
and  the  whole  is  so  tastefully  and  so  taylor-like  put  round 
his  neck,  that  his  arms  are  not  hindered.  Then  comes 
the  putting  on  of  the  three  thorns  with  their  jewels. 
This,  none  but  the  sanctified  and  initiated  can  well  de- 
scribe. The  first  thorn  goes  into  the  breast  of  the  pall, 
the  second  into  the  cross  on  the  left  shoulder,  and  the 
third  into  the  cross  behind.  And  these  thorns,  by  the 
orthodox  dressing,  must  not  go  quite  through  the  cross ! 


208  HISTORY    OF    POPERV. 

It  is  a  great  thing  to  be  orthodox  here.  After  this,  the 
good  bishop,  speaking  to  the  mitre,  says,  by  the  way 
of  prayer,  '  Put  on  me,  O  Lord,  the  mitre,  and  the  hehnet 
of  salvation.'  Here  he  sits  down,  and  the  dutiful,  busy 
deacon,  devoutly  puts  the  mitre  on  the  bishop's  head,  the 
sub-deacon  as  devoutly  holding  up  the  ribbons  that  hang 
from  it.  The  bishop  sitting,  then  prays, '  Decorate  with 
virtue,  O  Lord,  the  fingers  of  my  hand  and  body.'  Here 
the  deacons,  in  consummating  his  devout  prayer,  put  the 
rings  on  his  fingers.  Next  the  gremial,  a  rich  piece  of 
silk  to  be  held  by  two  priests  between  the  bishop  and  the 
people  when  he  says  mass,  is  laid  on  his  lap.  This 
done,  he  prays  to  the  manijpuluvi.  Then  the  cloth,  called 
by  this  name,  is  laid  across  his  arm. 

"  At  this  stage  of  the  religious  manoeuvre,  the  incense  is 
prepared  in  the  proper  vessel,  with  about  one  dozen  ges- 
ticulations and  contortions.  Then,  with  a  nicely  ar- 
ranged procession,  the  bishop  comes  to  the  steps  of  the 
altar  and  makes  a  full  halt.  Here  the  deacon  takes  off 
his  mitre,  and  combs  and  smooths  down  his  hair.  Then 
follows  the  confession  of  each  of  this  holy  confraternity. 
The  bishop,  bowing  reverentially  to  the  ahar,  begins  the 
confession  of  his  sins.  The  deacon,  kissing  the  bishop's 
left  hand,  goes  up  to  the  altar  with  the  manipulum,  and 
the  gospel  open  in  his  right  hand.  The  bishop  next, 
with  suitable  prayers,  goes  up  to  the  altar  and  kisses  it 
with  deep  solemnity,  and  also  the  book  of  the  gospels. 
Having  next  approached  the  horn  of  ihe  epistle,  he  takes 
the  incense  pot,  puts  incense  in  it,  and  causes  the  cloud  of 
smoke  to  cover  the  ahar.  This  holy  and  edifying  ser- 
vice is  done  thus.  Having  adored  with  profound  reve- 
rence the  image  on  the  cross,  he  whirls  the  pot  of  in- 
cense three  times  round  it,  then  he  whirls  the  pot  twice 
round  the  image  and  sacred  relics  on  the  right,  and  then 
around  those  on  the  left  as  often.  Next  he  gives  three 
holy  swingings  of  the  pot  round  the  image  and  relics 
near  the  corner  of  the  epistle ;  and  as  many  he  gives  to 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  209 

the  corner  of  the  gospel.  He  then  delivers  the  pot  to  the 
deacon,  who  swings  it  round  the  bishop  himself,  and 
smokes  him  effectually.  After  a  number  of  other  edify- 
ing gestures  and  motions,  the  bishop  is  helped  up  by  the 
arms,  as  if  he  were  suddenly  become  paralytic,  and  being 
on  his  legs,  he  as  suddenly  gets  whole,  and  standing 
sturdily  on  his  legs,  he  says,  *  Glory  to  God,'  taking 
care  to  join  his  hands  on  his  breast  at  the  word  God. 
While  the  choir  sings  a  hymn,  he  has  his  mitre  and  gre- 
mial  brought  to  him  ;  they  are  again  taken  off  him,  as 
the  hymn  ends.  He  is  again  helped  on  his  legs  by  the 
sturdy  deacons,  and  he  cries  out  to  the  people,  'peace  be 
unto  you^  and  he  keeps  his  hands  before  his  breast  until 
the  edified  and  devout  audience  reply,  'and  with  thy 
Spirit.''  He  then  says  let  us  pray ;  and  then  goes  on 
with  his  prayer  in  Latin,  to  console  and  edify  those  who 
do  not  understand  one  word  of  what  is  mumbled  by  him. 
After  an  incredible  number  of  similar  gestures,  and  the 
burning  of  incense,  and  kissing  of  the  bishop's  hands, 
and  bowing,  and  reading  what  they  call  the  gospel,  and 
after  the  bishop  has  been  again  perfumed  with  incense 
smoke,  and  has  stood  up  without  mitre  and  gremial,  he 
sits  down  to  listen  to  a  sermon.  The  preacher  comes 
up,  and  on  his  knees  adores  the  bishop,  kisses  his  hand, 
and  asks  his  blessing.  This  he  freely  gives  by  making 
the  sign  of  the  cross  over  him.  That  finished,  with 
much  gesture  and  bowing  the  preacher  gives  the  bishop 
his  absolution. 

''Second.  The  bishop  or  priest  sings  five  psalms,  then 
uncovers,  combs  down  his  hair,  and  washes  his  hands. 
Next  comes  the  sprinkling  of  holy  water,  and  singing  of 
the  introitus,  as  the  bishop  approaches  the  altar.  After 
a  great  many  gestures  again  adroitly  performed,  there  is 
much  chanting.  A  linen  cloth,  full  of  pictures,  is  carried 
as  a  canopy  over  the  bishop,  by  four  sturdy  ecclesiastics. 
Here  again  follow  incense  and  ^chanting.  There  is  the 
gradual  and  the   hallelujah^  and  the  tr actus,  so  caJJed 

18* 


310  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

from  the  long  drawling  tone  and  nasal  twanging  of  the 
priests,  affecting  much  sorrow  as  they  sing  it. 

"  The  third  part,  is  the  consecration,  more  properly  so 
called.     The  gestures,  and  particularly  the  bowings  and 
adoration  here,  are  not  easily  recounted.     The  sub-dea- 
con puts  on  a  long  veil ;  takes  the  patine,  with  two  choice 
hosts,  or  wafers,  and  the  chalice,  and  covering  them  with 
the  veil,  goes  up  with  them  to  the  altar,  following  the 
bishop.     Another    brings    the  wine   and   water.     The 
bishop  now  puts  on  his  episcopal  ring  and  mitre,  and 
comes  to  the  altar.     At  the  altar  his  mitre  is  taken  off 
and  he  adores  with   lowly  bowing  to   the  altar.     The 
deacon  now  takes  one  of  the  hosts,  and  touching  the  pa- 
tine  and  chalice  with  it,  inside  and  outside,  makes  the 
sub-deacon  taste  of  it.     The  other  host  he  offers  to  the 
bishop,  who  takes  it  with  both  hands,  and  holding  it  up 
before  his  breast,  repeats  the  prayer,  '  O  Lord  accept  it,' 
&c.     This  is  called  the  offertory,  from  its  being  offered 
to  God,  and  from  the  priest's  making  an  offering  of  gifts 
to  the  priests.     The   priest,  before  he   offers  the  host, 
washes  his  hands  a  second  time.     In  the  interim  the  dea- 
con throws  over  the  altar  a  clean   linen  cloth  called  a 
corporale  or  palla,  because  they  say  it  covers  Christ's 
body.     The  chalice  is  also  covered  with  another  palla. 
The  deacon  having  presented  the  patina,  with  the  host 
upon  it,  to  the  bishop,  also  presents  the  chalice,  in  which 
the  priest  mixes  wine  and  water  and  consecrates  it.     In 
the  consecration  the  water  only  is  blessed  by  the  priest 
when  mixed,  not   the  wine,  because  the  wine  they  say 
represents  Christ,  who  needs  no  blessing.     The  host  is 
placed  on  the  altar,  between  the  people  and  the  priest,  to 
intimate  that  Christ  is  mediator  between  God,  who,  they 
say,  is  represented  by  the  priest,  and  the  people,  which 
the  water  in  the  chalice,  as  they  imagine,   represents. 
The  priest  again  perfumes  the  altar  and  sacrifice  three 
times  in  the  manner  of  a  cross,  bows  himself,  and  kisses 
the  altar,  and  repeats  very  softly  the  prayer  which  they 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  211 

call  secreta.  Though  this  prayer  is  said  in  silence,  yet 
the  conclusion  of  it  is  uttered  in  a  loud  voice,  'per  omnia 
secula  seculorum.  Then  follows  what  they  call  prefatio, 
which  begins  with  thanksgiving,  and  ends  with  the  con- 
fession of  God's  majesty.  The  minds  of  the  people  are 
prepared  with  these  words,  '  Lift  up  your  hearts.^  The 
answer  to  which  is,  '  We  lift  them  up  unto  the  Lord.' 
Then  is  sung  the  hymn,  '  Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God, 
&c.  Heaven  and  earth  is  full  of  thy  glory.'  Then  fol- 
lows the  hymn  hosanna,  and  the  canon,  which  is  also 
called  actio,  because  it  is  a  giving  of  thanks,  which  is 
uttered  with  a  loud  voice.  The  canon,  besides  thanks- 
giving, consists  of  various  prayers  for  the  pope,  cardinals, 
bishops,  kings,  all  orthodox  Christians,  gentiles,  and 
Jews.  Those  also  are  particularly  remembered  for 
whom  the  sacrifice  is  to  be  offered,  and  their  names  re- 
hearsed. Prayer  is  also  made  for  those  that  be  present 
at  the  mass,  and  for  the  bishop  himself.  Then  mention 
is  made  of  the  virgin,  the  apostles,  the  evangelists  and 
martyrs,  and  many  crossings  follows  then  the  solemnity 
of  the  consecration  of  the  host,  by  pronouncing  aloud 
these  words,  *  Hoc  est  corpus  meum.'  To  this  the  peo- 
ple answer,  '  amen.^  The  priest  now  falls  down  on  his 
knees  before  the  consecrated  host,  and  worships  it,  offers 
prayers  to  it,  and  rising  up  he  elevates  it  that  it  may  be 
worshipped  by  the  people.  Then,  after  seven  several 
crossings  of  the  host  and  chalice,  this  part  of  the  mass  is 
concluded  with  prayers  for  the  dead,  and  the  people's 
offerings  of  money  to  the  priest,  as  a  reward  for  praying 
in  behalf  of  their  dead  friends,  for  their  deliverance  out 
of  purgatory. 

"  T\iQ  fourth  part  of  the  mass  begins  with  the  pater  nos- 
ter,  and  some  other  prayers.  The  sub-deacon  delivers 
the  patina  covered  to  the  deacon,  who  uncovers  it,  and 
delivers  it  to  the  priest,  and  kisses  his  right  hand.  The 
priest  kisses  the  patina,  breaks  the  host  over  the  chalice, 
and  puts  a  piece  of  it  in  the  w^ine,  to  show  that  Christ's 


112  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

Basil  ?  Then  the  other  must  have  been  fallible.  But  it 
was  a  general  council ;  and  if  one  general  council  could 
err,  who  knows  but  others  may  ?  In  a  word,  these  his- 
torical facts  demolish  absolutely  and  forever  the  pretence 
to  infallibility,  either  in  popes  or  councils. 

The  above  mentioned  events  awakened  again  the  spirit 
of  schism,  which  had  been  apparently  allayed  with  so 
much  toil  at  Constance.  In  the  year  1458,  the  bishop  of 
Siena  ascended  the  papal  throne,  under  the  popish  title  of 
Pius  II.  When  a  bishop,  by  the  name  of  ^neas  Syl- 
vius, he  had  strenuously  maintained  the  rights  of  coun- 
cils against  the  pope,  and  boldly  defended  the  council 
of  Basil  against  Eugene  IV.  But  when  made  pope,  he 
apostatized  from  himself,  and  denied  all  that  he  had  pre- 
viously written  in  behalf  of  councils.  He  severely  pro- 
hibited all  appeals  to  councils,  and  decreed  that  pope  Pius 
II.  was  to  be  heard  and  obeyed,  while  .^neas  Sylvius 
was  to  be  condemned. 

A  Spaniard,  whose  name  was  Roderick  Borgia,  as- 
cended the  throne  of  popery,  under  the  title  of  Alexander 
VI.  His  predecessors,  some  of  them,  had  been  men  of 
moderation,  and  considerable  worth.  Especially  was 
this  true  of  Nicolas  V.,  who  was  a  man  of  learning,  and 
a  patron  of  learned  men,  under  whom  the  schism  of  the 
church  was  healed.  But  Alexander  VI.  was  called  the 
Nero  among  the  popes.  For  though  they  were  all,  with 
very  few  exceptions,  flagitious  men,  yet  this  pope  was 
able,  by  his  extraordinary  villanies  and  debaucheries,  to 
gain  a  pre-eminence  even  among  such  men.  He  was  a 
monster  of  iniquity  in  every  sense.  He  died  by  poison 
which  he  had  prepared  for  others.  Such  was  popery  in 
this  century.  And  yet  papists,  to  be  consistent  with 
their  principles,  must  ascribe  holiness  and  infallibility  to 
every  wicked  wretch,  who  by  any  means  can  gain  the 
chair  of  popedom. 

The  monastic  orders  followed  the  prevailing  steps  of 
the  popes.     They  were  mostly  herds  of  ignorant,  lazy. 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  113 

dishonest,  and  debauched  people.  The  monks  that  held 
property  in  their  own  name,  such  as  the  Benedictines  and 
the  Augustinians,  were  given  to  sensual  gratifications. 
By  the  licentiousness  of  their  lives,  and  disregard  of  their 
rules,  they  became  extremely  odious.  The  pauper  or 
mendicant  monks,  (i.  e.  the  Dominicans  and  Francis- 
cans,) offended  as  much  by  their  arrogance,  their  quarrel- 
some temper,  their  invasion  of  the  rights  of  others,  their 
propagation  of  superstition,  and  their  vain  and  futile  dis- 
putes, as  the  opulent  monks  did  by  their  luxury,  their 
laziness,  and  their  hatred  of  learning.  Thus  the  religion 
of  the  papal  dominion  contained  nothing  which  could 
recommend  it  to  the  esteem  of  a  pious  mind.  The  wor* 
ship  of  God  consisted  in  empty  ceremonies,  which  were 
puerile  and  silly.  The  sermons  were  filled  with  fiction. 
If  a  man  reverenced  the  clergy  as  they  were,  and  espe- 
cially the  pope  ;  if  he  secured  the  favor  of  saints  by  fre- 
quent offerings  to  them,  or  what  was  the  same  thing,  to 
their  temples  and  priests  ;  and  if  he  had  money  enough  to 
purchase  the  pardon  of  his  sins  from  the  papal  venders,  he 
was  accounted  a  well  informed,  pious  Christian.  If  he 
went  beyond  this,  and  inflicted  some  external  severities 
upon  his  body,  he  was  then  eminent  for  piety,  and  sure  of 
adoration.  A^ery  few  had  any  just  views  of  true  reli- 
gion, or  the  conformity  of  the  heart  to  the  laws  of  Christ ; 
and  these  few,  if  they  were  known,  with  difficulty  escaped 
with  their  lives.  Under  this  miserable  state  of  things 
did  the  Christian  world  groan.  It  was  the  galling  yoke 
of  Satan,  through  the  instrumentality  of  popery.  For 
popery,  let  it  be  remembered,  had  performed  its  perfect 
work  for  near  eight  centuries.  Though  occasionally 
disquieted  with  schisms  and  witnesses  for  the  truth,  yet 
genuine  popery  had  maintained  the  ascendancy,  and  had 
subjugated  the  human  mind,  as  well  as  the  physical 
powers,  to  its  control.  To  popery,  then,  belongs  all  the 
credit  of  that  miserable,  dark,  degraded,  and  polluted 
state  of  Christendom,  at  the  close  of  the  fifteenth  century. 

10* 


214  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

wine  is  superfluous.  But  why  the  priests  use  this  super- 
fluity, when  they  as  really  as  the  people  take  the  body 
of  Christ,  blood  and  all,  in  the  wafer,  they  do  not  inform. 
But  so  much  as  this  is  certain,  that  in  administering  to 
the  people  only  the  bread,  they  do  not  administer  the 
Lord's  supper,  which  according  to  his  appointment,  was 
to  consist  of  bread  and  wine.  The  consequence  is,  that 
the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  supper  is  never  celebrated 
m  the  popish  church.  What  they  have  substituted  in 
the  place  of  it  is  a  mere  human  device,  made  up  of  fiction 
and  superstition.  Let  papists  well  consider  this.  For 
the  truth  of  it  is  manifest  on  two  grounds.  \.  They 
pervert  the  ordinance  in  its  nature  and  design.  That 
which  was  designed  to  be  a  mere  ordinance  of  com- 
memoration pointing  to  Christ,  the  only  real  sacrifice  for 
sin,  and  calling  him  to  remembrance  in  that  view,  they 
have  transmitted  into  a  substitute  for  Christ,  a  real  pro- 
pitiatory sacrifice.  2.  They  have  changed  the  appoint- 
ment of  Christ  by  omitting  an  essential  part  of  the  ordi- 
nance. There  is  then  in  the  popish  church  no  sacra- 
ment of  the  Lord's  supper. 

From  the  view  which  papists  take  of  the  consecrated 
host,  that  it  is  the  real  body  of  Christ,  and  that  those  who 
swallow  the  host  into  their  stomachs  have  received 
Christ,  and  have  Christ  in  them,  are  united  to  Christ, 
&c.,  it  becomes  them,  as  will  be  seen,  to  be  very  careful 
of.  the  host.  The  communicant  must  not  spit  soon  after 
taking  it,  lest  he  should  eject  something  of  Christ  with 
his  saliva.  Great  care  also  must  be  taken  that  the  con- 
secrated host  be  not  profaned  by  coming  within  the  reach 
of  any  animal.  A  catastrophe  of  this  kind  once  occurred 
at  a  Dominican's  convent.  A  lady  w^ho  had  a  lap-dog, 
which  she  always  carried  along  with  her,  went  to  re- 
ceive the  sacrament  with  the  dog  under  her  arm  ;  and 
the  dog  looking  up  and  beginning  to  bark,  when  the 
friar  went  to  put  the  wafer  into  the  lady's  mouth,  he  let 
the  wafer  fall,   which  happened   to  drop  into  the  dog'$ 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  215 

mouth.  Both  the  friar  and  the  lady  were  in  deep 
amazement  and  confusion,  and  knew  not  what  to  do  ;  so 
they  went  for  the  reverend  father  prior,  who  did  resolve 
this  nice  point  upon  the  spot,  and  ordered  to  call  two 
friars  and  the  clerk,  and  bring  the  cross  and  two  candle- 
sticks Avith  lighted  candles,  and  to  carry  the  dog  in  form 
of  procession  into  the  vestry",  and  to  keep  the  poor 
creature  there  with  illumination,  as  if  he  were  the  host 
itself,  till  the  digestion  of  the  wafer  was  over,  and  then 
to  kill  the  dog  and  throw  him  into  the  drain.  Another 
friar  said  it  was  better  to  open  the  dog  immediately  and 
extract  the  fragments  of  the  host ;  and  a  third  was  of 
opinion  that  the  said  dog  should  be  burned  and  all  th^ 
was  in  him,  upon  the  spot.  The  lady  who  loved  dearly 
her  little  cupid,  entreated  the  father  prior  to  save  the 
dog's  life  if  possible,  and  she  would  give  any  thing  to 
make  amends.  Then  the  prior  and  friars  retired  to 
consult  upon  the  case,  and  it  was  resolved,  1.  That  the 
dog  should  be  called  for  the  future,  the  sacrament's  dog. 
2.  If  the  dog  should  happen  to  die,  the  lady  was  to  give 
it  burial  in  consecrated  ground.  3.  The  lady  must  take 
care  not  to  let  the  dog  play  with  other  dogs.  4.  She  must 
give  a  silver  dog,  which  should  be  placed  upon  the  taber- 
nacle where  the  hosts  were  kept.  5.  She  must  pay  twenty 
pistoles  to  the  convent.  Every  article  was  performed 
accordingly,  and  the  dog  was  kept  v\^itha  great  deal  of  care 
and  veneration.  The  case  was  printed,  and  so  came  to 
the  ears  of  the  inquisitors,  and  Don  Pedro  Guenero,  first 
inquisitor,  thinking  the  thing  very  scandalous,  sent  for 
the  poor  dog,  and  kept  him  in  the  inquisition  to  the  great 
grief  of  his  mistress.  What  became  of  the  dog  we  are 
not  informed.'' 

The  following  rules  and  regulations  respecting  the 
administration  and  reception  of  the  ordinance,  arise 
from  the  same  error  of  transubstantiation. 

"  If  the  celebrator  after  the  consecration  of  the  host, 
observe  that  it  is  corrupted  or  is  not  of  wheat,  he  must 


216  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

Still  take  another  and  swallow  it,  after  which,  he  must 
swallow  the  first,  or  give  it  to  another  to  be  preserved 
with  great  care  and  reverence."  "  If  any  remains  of 
meat  sticking  in  the  mouth,  be  swallowed  with  the  host, 
they  will  not  vitiate  the  act  of  communicating,  provided, 
they  be  swallowed  not  as  meat  but  as  spittle.  The 
same  is  said,  if,  in  washing  our  mouth  a  drop  of  water  is 
swallowed,  provided  it  be  against  our  will."  *'  If  any 
requisite  be  wanting,  it  is  no  sacrament.  For  example, 
if  it  be  celebrated  out  of  holy  ground,  or  upon  an  altar 
not  consecrated,  or  not  covered  with  three  napkins,  if 
there  be  no  wax  candles  ;  if  it  be  not  celebrated  between 
day  break  and  noon ;  if  the  celebrator  have  not  said  ma- 
tins with  lauds  ;  or  if  he  omit  any  of  the  sacradotal  robes, 
if  these  robes  and  napkins  be  not  blessed  by  a  bishop ; 
if  there  be  no  clerk  present  to  serve,  or  one  who  ought 
not  to  serve,  a  woman  for  example  ;  if  there  be  no  chalice, 
the  cup  of  which  is  gold  or  silver  or  pewter  ;  if  the 
vestment  be  not  of  clean  linen,  adorned  with  silk  in  the 
middle  and  blessed  by  a  bishop ;  if  the  priest  celebrate 
with  his  head  covered  ;  if  there  be  no  missal  present 
though  he  have  it  by  heart."  "  If  a  gnat  or  spider  fall 
into  the  cup  after  consecration,  the  priest  must  swallow  it, 
if  he  can,  otherwise  let  him  take  it  out,  wash  it  with 
wine,  burn  it,  and  throw  it  with  the  washings  on  holy 
ground.  If  poison  fall  into  the  cup,  the  blood  must  be 
poured  on  tow  or  on  a  linen  cloth,  remain  till  it  be  dry, 
then  be  burned  and  the  ashes  thrown  on  holy  ground. 
If  the  host  be  poisoned,  it  must  be  kept  in  a  tabernacle 
till  it  be  corrupted." 

"  If  the  blood,  ( i.  e.  the  wine  in  the  cup  after  consecra- 
tion) freeze  in  winter,  put  warm  clothes  about  the  cup,  if 
that  be  not  sufficient,  put  the  cup  into  boiling  water.  If 
any  of  Christ's  blood,  (i.  e.  the  wine,  )  fall  upon  the 
ground  by  negligence,  it  must  be  licked  up  with  the 
tongue,  and  the  place  scraped,  the  scrapings  must  be 
burnt,  and  the  ashes  buried  in  holy  ground."     "  If  a  priest 


HISTORY    OF    POPERV.  217 

vomit  the  eucharist  and  the  species  appear  entire,  it  must 
be  licked  up  most  reverently.  If  a  nausea  prevent  that 
to  be  done,  it  must  be  kept  till  it  be  corrupted.  If  the  spe- 
cies do  not  appear  entire,  the  vomit  must  be  burnt  and  the 
ashes  thrown  upon  holy  ground."  Such  regulations  as 
these  speak  for  themselves.  Miraculous  powers  have 
also  been  ascribed  to  the  consecrated  host,  as  the  follow- 
ing "  collection  of  miracles  of  the  consecrated  wafer, 
grounded  upon  the  respects  and  acknowledgments  which 
beasts,  birds,  and  insects,  on  several  occasions  have  ren- 
dered to  the  holy  wafer."  Petrus  Cheniac  reports,  that 
"  a  certain  peasant  of  Auvergne,  a  province  in  France^ 
perceiving  that  his  bees  were  likely  to  die,  to  prevent  this 
misfortune,  was  advised,  after  he  had  received  the  com- 
munion, to  keep  the  host  and  to  blow  it  into  one  of  his 
hives ;  and  on  a  sudden  all  the  bees  came  forth  out  of 
their  hives,  and  ranking  themselves  in  good  order,  lifted 
the  host  up  from  the  ground,  and  carrying  it  upon  their 
wings,  placed  it  among  the  combs.  After  this  the  man 
went  about  his  business ;  and  at  his  return  found  that 
this  advice  had  succeeded  contrary  to  his  expectation, 
for  all  his  bees  Avere  dead.  Nay  when  he  lifted  up  the 
hive  he  saw  that  the  host  was  turned  into  a  fair  child 
among  the  honey  combs,  and  being  much  astonished  at 
this  change,  and  seeing  that  this  infant  seemed  to  be 
dead,  he  took  it  in  his  hands  intending  to  bury  it  private- 
ly in  the  church  ;  but  when  he  came  to  do  it,  he  found 
nothing  in  his  hands,  the  infant  having  vanished  away. 
This  thing  happened  in  the  county  of  Clermont,  which 
for  this  irreverence  was  a  while  after  chastized  with 
divers  calamities,  which  so  dispeopled  those  parts  that 
they  become  like  a  wilderness.  From  this  it  appears 
that  the  bees  honor  the  holy  host  divers  ways,  by  lifting 
it  from  the  earth  and  carrying  it  into  the  hive  as  it  were 
in  procession."  Cantiprat  writeth  "  that  a  certain  poor 
man  going  to  visit  his  bees  perceived  them  to  make  a 
sweet  harmony,  he  stood  ravished  a  while  with  it,  not 

19 


218  HISTORY    OF     POPERY. 

knowing  what  it  meant.  The  night  following  as  he  went 
about  some  business,  casting  his  eyes  towards  his  bees 
he  perceived  them  to  rejoice  and  sport  themselves,  ma- 
king an  admirable  melody.  First  he  informed  his  curate 
of  it,  and  afterwards  broke  up  his  hive,  where  he  found  a 
box  made  of  wax,  but  of  most  admirable  whiteness,  that 
it  looked  like  ivory,  and  within  it  the  holy  sacrament 
adored  by  the  bees,  who  ranged  themselves  in  two  choirs 
and  sang  the  praises  of  their  creator.  The  bishop  order- 
ed a  procession  to  carry  back  the  holy  host  of  the  church, 
and  in  that  place  was  erected  a  sumptuous  chapel,  which 
became  a  place  of  refuge  for  the  sick  and  the  afflicted. 
When  no  body  knew  whence  and  by  whom  that  host 
had  been  brought  there,  two  thieves  of  their  own  accord, 
discovered  themselves,  and  confessed  that,  having  stolen 
a  box  they  had  thrown  the  host  against  the  hives.  By 
which  miracle  we  see  that  the  bees  adore  the  holy  host, 
and  sing  the  divine  praises,  dividing  themselves  into  two 
choirs."  Caesarius  relates  "  that  an  old  and  simple  priest 
of  the  parish  of  St.  Colen,  carrying  the  holy  sacrament 
out  of  the  town  to  a  sick  person,  and  going  up  a  very 
rough  hill,  met  some  loaded  asses  descending  towards  the 
town,  the  way  being  verjr  narrow,  and  the  priest  not 
being  able  to  get  past  them,  and  fearing  to  be  overturned 
by  those  beasts  he  spoke  to  them  according  to  his  simpli- 
city in  this  manner.  '  My  asses  !  what  do  you  mean  ? 
do  you  not  see  him  whom  I  carry?  Go  aside  and  stop 
to  make  room  for  your  Creator,  which  I  command  you 
in  his  name.'  O  admirable  obedience !  those  asses 
which  used  not  to  stir  but  when  they  were  beaten,  pre- 
sently went  to  one  side  where  the  hill  was  more  steep, 
without  apprehending  any  danger  of  letting  fall  their  load. 
The  town  of  Colen  remembers  this  wonder  to  this  day 
and  mentioneth  it  w4th  astonishment."  But  enough  of 
this  stupid  mummery  with  which  several  pages  might  be 
filled.  The  asses  and  the  papists  are  appropriate  rivals 
for  the  honor  of  such  a  work  of  piety. 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  219 

But  the  worst  of  all  respecting  the  mass  is  the  practice 
of  selling  it  in  behalf  of  the  dead.  This  piece  of  abomi- 
nable superstition  and  impiety  is  one  principal  source  of 
the  revenues  of  the  popish  priests.  It  is  said  very  justly, 
that  the  revenue  arising  from  the  mass  alone  enables  the 
church  to  keep  more  priests  in  pay  than  any  prince  in 
Christendom  can  keep  soldiers.  In  Ireland,  the  sums 
which  are  raised  by  popish  priests  from  the  poor  people 
by  means  of  the  mass  alone  are  beyond  all  calculation. 
The  following  copies  of  receipts  for  masses  said  for  the 
dead,  which  are  from  an  authentic  source  may  serve  as 
specimens  of  this  traffic. — "October  17,  1798.  An  ac- 
count of  the  masses  said  for  the  soul  of  the  late  Mrs. 
Monaghan,  viz. 
St.  James'  chapel  50  masses. .  .  .  £,2  14  2 
Denmark-st.  chapel  20  do.  .  .  .118 
Stephen-st.  chapel     20  do.     .         .         .  118 

Ash-st.  chapel  20  do.         .         .         .118 


total,      110  masses.  £b  19  2 

Received  the  above  in  full,  M.  M'Guire. 

Dublin,  July  11,  1809.  Received  from  Mrs.  Mahon, 
two  pounds  three  shillings  and  four  pence,  for  twenty 
masses  offered  up  by  the  Rev.  gentlemen  of  St.  James' 
chapel,  for  the  repose  of  the  soul  of  Mr.  Timothy  Mahon. 

Jas.  Jos.  Callan. 

12th  October,  1809.  Received  from  Mrs.  Mahon,  two 
pounds  three  and  four  pence,  for  twenty  masses,  said  by 
the  Rev.  gentlemen  of  St.  James'  chape],  for  the  soul  of 
Mrs.  Mary  Monaghan.  Jas.  Jos.  Callan. 

Dublin,  Oct.  31.  Received  from  Mrs.  Mahon,  three 
pounds  eight  and  three  pence,  for  sixty  masses  offered  up 
in  St.  James'  chapel  for  the  repose  of  the  soul  of  Mrs. 
Monaghan.  Jas.  Jos.   Callan. 

These  documents  will  show  the  manner  in  which  our 
poor  deluded  fellow  men  in  Ireland  are  spoiled  of  their 
money  by  their  professed  spiritual  guides.     In  popery 


220  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

there  is  no  free  gift,  every  thing  has  its  price  in  pounds, 
shillings  and  pence,  or  what  is  equivalent.  It  seems  that 
money  is  demanded  for  procuring,  by  a  given  number  of 
masses,  repose  to  the  souls  of  certain  persons  who  are 
dead.  Did  they  die  in  the  faith  of  Jesus  ?  Then  their 
souls  are  at  rest  in  heaven,  and  need  not  the  money  of 
their  friends,  or  the  masses  of  popish  priests.  Did  they 
die  in  impenitence  and  unbelief,  then  it  is  not  in  the 
power  of  men  or  angels,  much  less  of  all  the  priests  of 
popery,  to  procure  by  any  means  a  moment's  rest  for 
them.  To  take  money  then  for  the  purpose  proposed  is 
only  another  way  of  picking  pockets. 

In  popish  countries,  such  as  Spain,  when  a  person  is 
dangerously  ill,  the  priests  and  friars  beset  the  house 
like  so  many  harpies,  waiting  till  they  know  the  event, 
and  if  the  person  die  they  besiege  the  chief  of  the  family 
with  petitions  for  the  job  of  saying  masses  for  the  dead. 
If  the  family  be  rich,  the  custom  is  to  distribute  a  thou- 
sand or  more  masses  among  the  convents  and  parishes, 
to  be  said  on  the  day  of  burial.  "  When  the  Marquis 
of  St.  Martin  died,"  says  Mr.  Gavin,  in  his  Master  Koy, 
"  his  lady  distributed  an  hundred  thousand  masses,  for 
which  she  paid  five  thousand  pounds  sterling,  besides  a 
thousand  masses  which  she  settled  upon  all  the  convents 
and  parish  churches,  to  be  said  every  year  forever,  which 
amounts  to  a  thousand  pistoles  a  year."  But  not  satisfied 
with  cheating  the  people  out  of  their  money,  the  priests 
also  cheat  them  out  of  the  masses  which  they  engage, 
and  for  which  they  are  paid.  For  it  often  happens  that 
they  receive  more  money  for  masses  in  a  day  than  they 
can  say  in  a  month.  But  in  this  case  they  have  a  resort 
in  a  special  licence  of  the  pope,  which  the  priests  keep 
a  secret  among  themselves.  Mr.  Gavin,  who  was  once 
a  popish  priest,  says  it  was  a  thing  secertly  understood 
among  his  brethren,  that  they  had  authority  from  the 
pope  to  make  one  mass  serve  for  a  hundred.  This  was 
called  centenaria  mGsse,  or  the  hundred  fold  mass,  for  the 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  221 

mass  which  was  said  in  the  place  of  an  hundred,  was 
understood  to  have  as  much  efficacy  as  another  mass 
said  an  hundred  times.  And  truly,  for  one  cypher  has  as 
much  value  as  an  hundred.  But  was  it  so  understood 
by  the  people  who  paid  their  money?  Not  at  all.  They 
were  made  to  believe  that  the  efficacy  of  masses  depend- 
ed on  their  number  and  accumulation.  Here  then  was 
a  double  fraud.  We  are  farther  informed  by  the  author 
of  the  ^'Master  Key^''  that  the  dealers  in  masses  kept  a 
kind  of  mass  bank,  accumulated  before  hand,  so  that  they 
could  draw  upon  it  whenever  occasion  required.  If  the 
friends  of  a  deceased  person  went  to  a  father  prior  for  a 
thousand  masses  and  paid  the  money,  he  gave  them  a 
draft  upon  the  bank,  purporting  that  the  masses  had  been 
said  already  and  only  need  to  be  transferred  to  individual 
benefit. 

6.  Purgatory. 

Purgatory,  according  to  the  popish  cardinal  Bellar- 
mine,  is,  "  that  place,  in  which  after  death,  the  souls  of 
those  persons  are  purified,  who  were  not  fully  cleansed 
on  earth,  in  order  that  they  may  be  prepared  for  heaven, 
wherein  nothing  shall  enter  that  defileth."  In  attempt- 
ing to  prove  there  is  such  a  place,  he  mainly  relies  on  a 
passage  in  the  Apocrypha,  which  it  is  not  necessary  now 
to  consider,  because  if  the  passage  directly  asserted  the 
doctrine  it  would  have  no  weight  as  authority. 

In  the  following  decree,  the  council  of  Trent  sanc- 
tioned the  doctrine  of  purgatory,  and  prescribed  the 
duties  which  it  involves.  "Since  the  catholic  church, 
instructed  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  through  the  sacred  wri- 
tings, and  the  ancient  traditions  of  the  fathers,  hath 
taught  in  holy  councils,  and  lastly  in  this  ecumenical 
council,  that  there  is  a  purgatory,  and  that  the  souls 
detained  there  are  assisted  by  the  suffrages  of  the  faith- 
ful, but  especially  by  the  acceptable  sacrifice  of  the  mass, 
this  holy  council  commands  all  bishops  diligently  to 
endeavor  that  the  wholesome  doctrine  of  purgatory,  deli- 

19* 


222  HISTORY    OF    POPERl'. 

vered  to  us  by  venerable  fathers  and  holy  councils,  be 
believed  and  held  by  Christ's  faithful,  and  every  where 
taught  and  believed.  Let  the  bishops  take  care,  that  the 
suffrages  of  the  living  faithful,  viz.  masses,  prayers,  alms 
and  other  works  of  piety,  which  the  faithful  have  been 
accustomed  to  perform  for  departed  believers  be  piously 
and  religiously  rendered  according  to  the  institutes  of  the 
church,  and  whatever  services  are  due  to  the  dead  through 
the  endowments  of  deceased  persons,  or  in  any  other 
way,  let  them  not  be  performed  slightly,  but  diligently 
and  carefully  by  the  priests  and  ministers  of  the  church, 
and  all  others  to  whom  the  duty  belongs." 

The  locality  of  purgatory,  according  to  Bellarmine,  is 
near  the  centre  of  the  earth,  or,  rather,  2550  miles  below 
the  inhabitants  of  the  world,  and  15.750  miles  above  helL 
Every  child,  who  has  studied  his  geography,  knows  that 
the  diameter  of  the  globe,  from  surface  to  surface,  is  but 
8,000  miles.  But  no  matter  ;  the  pope  must  be  believed 
by  his  followers,  let  science  oppose  ever  so  many  obsta- 
cles. But  will  he  be  believed  in  such  absurdities  by 
people  of  information,  who  have  the  right,  and  will  ex- 
ercise it,  to  think  for  themselves  ?  The  papists  suppose 
the  internal  regions  of  the  earth  to  be  divided  into  four 
separate  departments.  The  first  or  lowest  is  hell,  where 
the  damned  are  placed.  The  second  is  purgatory.  The 
third  is  the  residence  of  the  souls  of  infants  who  died 
without  baptism,  and  who  endure  the  eternal  punishment 
of  loss,  but  not  of  sense.  The  fourth  is  called  limbo, 
and  was  the  abode  of  the  pious  who  departed  this  life 
before  the  birth  of  Christ,  and  were  delivered  by  him 
when  he  descended  into  hell.  This  last,  they  suppose, 
is  now  empty,  as  purgatory  will  be  at  some  future  period. 
The  punishment  endured  in  purgatory  is  said  to  be  that 
of  fire.  And  all  that  can  be  known  of  it  in  the  present 
state,  the  papists  say,  is,  that  the  pains  of  purification  are 
horribly  severe,  so  that  no  sufferings  ever  endured  in  this 
world  are  to  be  compared  with  them.     How  long  they 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  223 

will  continue  is  not  said,  but  it  is  thought  they  will  be 
very  gradual,  and  that  some  will  not  be  thoroughly 
cleansed  till  the  day  of  judgment. 

The  object  and  use  of  this  doctrine  of  purgatory  is  to 
obtain  money.  And  the  popish  priests  have  found  it  a 
most  profitable  speculation.  As  was  remarked  under  the 
head  of  masses,  they  have  a  larger  revenue  from  selling 
masses  for  the  dead,  than  princes  have  for  the  support  of 
their  kingdoms.  The  priests  diligently  inculcate  the 
sentiment  that  sufferers  in  purgatory  may  receive  power- 
ful relief  from  their  brethren  on  earth,  and  that  the  dura- 
tion of  their  pains  may  be  considerably  shortened  by 
masses,  prayers,  alms,  and  other  works  of  piety,  called 
the  suffrages  of  the  faithful ;  but  above  all,  by  masses 
offered  in  their  behalf  by  the  priests.  A  readier  and 
more  effectual  method  of  filling  tde  coffers  of  popery 
could  not  have  been  invented  ;  and  that  they  have  been 
filled  to  overflowing  by  this  means,  is  an  historical  fact 
that  cannot  be  disputed.  Great  care  is  taken  to  bring 
the  subject  constantly  before  the  people.  In  every  mass 
there  is  a  general  commemoration  of  the  departed. 
Prayers  are  prepared  to  be  offered  at  the  moment  of  death, 
and  at  stated  intervals  after  it,  and  at  the  anniversary  re- 
turns of  the  day  on  which  the  event  occurred.  A  so- 
lemn office  for  the  dead  forms  part  of  the  service 
of  the  church,  and  is  usually  recited  once  a  month, 
and  in  lent  once  a  week.  On  all-souls'  day,  extraordi- 
nary masses  are  celebrated  for  their  relief.  Arrange- 
ments may  be  made  at  any  time  with  the  priest,  for  the 
appropriation  of  his  services  to  the  relative  or  friend 
whose  deliverance  is  the  immediate  object  of  concern. 
Besides  which,  for  a  small  sum  of  money,  a  trifling  pe- 
nance, or  some  easy  act  of  devotion,  the  zealous  Catholic 
may  always  indulge  his  benevolent  feelings,  and  contri- 
bute largely  to  the  comfort  of  the  whole  body  of  sufferers 
in  that  dark  and  melancholy  abode.  But  money  is  the 
essential  requisite  in  all  these  operations ;  so  that  it  is  a 


224  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

maxim  in  the  history  of  popery,  "  No  penny,  no  pater- 
noster." That  is  to  say,  no  pay,  no  prayer.  Philip  V. 
ordered,  by  his  will,  all  the  priests  of  the  place  where  he 
should  die,  to  say  mass  the  same  day  for  the  repose  of  his 
soul ;  besides  which,  they  were  to  celebrate  during  three 
days,  before  privileged  altars,  as  many  masses  as  possi- 
ble ;  and  that  he  might  not  fail  in  his  purpose,  he  further 
commanded  an  hundred  thousand  masses  to  be  said  on 
his  behalf;  the  surplus  of  as  many  as  were  necessary  to 
conduct  him  to  heaven,  to  be  reversible  to  poor  solitary 
souls,  concerning  whom  no  person  bestowed  a  thought. 
On  the  day  of  decease  or  burial,  the  following  prayer 
is  used  : — "  Have  mercy,  O  Lord,  we  beseech  thee,  on 
the  soul  of  thy  servant  N.,  for  which  we  offer  this  victim 
of  praise,  humbly  beseeching  thy  majesty,  that  by  this 
propitiatory  sacrifice,  he  or  she  may  arrive  at  eternal 
rest.  Grant,  we  beseech  thee,  O  Almighty  God,  that  the 
soul  of  thy  servant,  which  this  day  hath  departed  this 
life,  being  purified  and  freed  from  sin  by  this  sacrifice, 
may  obtain  both  forgiveness  and  eternal  rest."  On  the 
third,  seventh,  or  thirtieth  day  after  decease,  the  follow- 
ing form  is  used  : — "  Admit,  we  beseech  thee,  O  Lord, 
the  soul  of  thy  servant  N.,  the  third,  seventh,  or  thir- 
tieth day  of  whose  decease  we  commemorate,  into  the 
fellowship  of  thy  saints,  and  refresh  it  with  the  perpetual 
dew  of  thy  mercy.  Mercifully  look  down,  O  Lord,  on 
the  oflferings  we  make  for  the  soul  of  thy  servant  N., 
that,  being  purified  by  these  heavenly  mysteries,  it  may 
find  rest  in  thy  mercy.  Receive,  O  Lord,  our  prayers 
on  behalf  of  thy  servant  N.,  that  if  any  stain  of  the  cor- 
ruptions of  this  world  stick  to  it,  they  may  be  washed 
away  by  thy  forgiving  mercy."  In  Italy  and  Spain, 
travellers  are  continually  solicited  for  contributions  to- 
wards the  relief  of  the  suffering  souls  in  purgatory. 
The  dependents  on  churches  or  convents  are  usually  em- 
ployed for  this  purpose.  A  man,  bearing  a  large  lan- 
tern, with  a  painted  glass,  representing  two  naked  per- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  225 

sons  enveloped  in  flames,  entered  the  court,  addressing 
every  one  of  the  company  in  these  words  : — "  The  holy 
souls,  brother^  remember  the  holy  souls."  Few  refuse  the 
petitioner  a  copper  coin,  worth  about  the  eighth  part  of  a 
penny.  This  custom  is  universal  in  Spain.  A  man, 
whose  chief  employment  is  to  be  agent  for  the  souls  in 
purgatory  in  the  evening,  the  only  time  when  the  invisi- 
ble sufferers  are  begged  for  about  the  towns,  parades  the 
streets  after  sunset,  with  the  lantern  I  have  described,  and 
never  fails  to  visit  the  inns  where  the  travellers,  who  ge- 
nerally entrust  their  safety  from  robbers  to  the  holy  souls, 
are  always  ready  to  make  some  pecuniary  acknowledg- 
ment for  past  favors,  or  to  engage  their  protection  from 
future  dangers." 

"  The  pope  has  established  eight  or  ten  days  in  the 
year,  in  which  every  Spaniard,  (for  the  grant  is  confined 
to  Spain,)  by  kneeling  at  five  different  altars,  and  there 
praying  for  the  extirpation  of  heresy,  is  entitled  to  send 
a  species  of  habeas  animan  to  any  of  his  friends  in  pur- 
gatory. The  name  of  the  person,  whose  liberation  is 
intended,  should,  for  fear  of  mistake,  be  mentioned  in  the 
prayers ;  but,  lest  the  order  of  release  should  find  him 
already  free,  or  perhaps  within  those  gates  to  which  no 
pope  had  ever  ventured  to  apply  his  keys,  we  are  taught 
to  endorse  the  spiritual  bill  with  other  names,  addressing 
it  finally  to  the  most  worthy  and  most  disconsolate. 
These  privileged  days  are  announced  to  the  public  by  a 
printed  notice  placed  over  the  basin  of  holy  water,  which 
stands  near  every  church  door.  The  words  written  on 
the  tablet  are  plain  and  peremptory  : — "  This  is  a  soul- 
drawing  day."  A  certain  traveller  remarks  concerning 
Rome,  "  You  may  buy  as  many  masses  as  will  free  your 
souls  from  purgatory  for  29,000  years,  at  the  church  of 
St.  John  Lateran,  on  the  festival  of  that  saint,  at  Santa 
Bibiana,  on  all-souls'  day,  for  7,000  years  ;  at  a  church 
near  the  Basilica  of  St.  Paul,  and  at  another  on  the  Qui- 
rinal  hill,  for  10,000 ;  and  for  3,000  years,  at  a  very  rea- 


226  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

sonable  rate.  But  it  is  in  vain  to  particularize,  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  principal  churches  in  Rome  and  the 
neighborhood,  are  spiritual  shops  for  the  sale  of  the  same 
commodity."  Spain  is  peculiarly  favored  in  the  varietv 
of  her  privileges.  Among  the  rest  is  the  bull  called  the 
compounding  bull,  by  possessing  which,  and  paying  a 
certain  sum  of  money  at  the  discretion  of  any  priest  au- 
thorized to  hear  confessions,  any  property  which  has  been 
obtained  by  robbery  or  extortion,  and  cannot  be  traced  to 
its  right  owner,  may  be  kept.  This  composition  with  the 
pope  is  made  by  depositing  the  sum  appointed  by  the  con- 
fessor in  an  iron  chest,  fixed  at  the  outside  of  the  doors 
of  churches — a  very  comfortable  resort  for  the  con- 
sciences of  speculators  and  extortioners,  two  very  nume- 
rous classes  in  Spain.  Another  bull  is  called  the  defunct 
bull,  because,  as  is  supposed,  the  name  of  any  dead  per- 
son being  entered  on  the  bull,  a  plenary  indulgence  is,  by 
this  means,  believed  to  be  conveyed  to  his  soul,  if  suffer- 
ing in  purgatory. 

The  arts  and  tricks  which  the  popish  priests  practice 
upon  their  deluded  followers,  to  extort  from  them  their 
money,  and  to  confirm  them  in  belief  of  the  efficacy  of 
masses  to  deliver  from  purgatory,  are  almost  innumera- 
ble.    A  few  examples  must  suffice. 

"  A  gentleman  of  Dublin  called  on  a  tenant  for  rent. 
The  poor  woman  had  been  always  punctual  heretofore, 
she  apologized  for  not  being  so  now,  by  telling  her  land- 
lord, that  the  priest  came  to  her  lately  and  asked  her  '  If 
she  had  heard  from  her  husband  ?'  she  answered,  '  how 
could  she  as  he  was  dead  V  '  O  yes,'  said  he,  '  but  did 
you  not  hear  that  a  great  crowd  was  lately  passing  over 
the  bridge  from  purgatory  to  heaven,  that  it  broke  down 
from  the  weight,  that  many  were  left  on  the  wrong  side, 
and  amongst  the  rest  your  husband,  that  their  lamenta- 
tions had  come  to  the  priests  to  get  the  bridge  repaired !' 
Therefore,  he  called  upon  her,  who  was  so  much  inter- 
ested, for  a  good  subscription,  as  the  job  would  be  very 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  227 

expensive."  The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  constitution 
of  a  purgatorian  society  instituted  in  Dublin,  July  1, 
1813,  for  the  purpose  of  raising  money  to  deliver  souls 
from  purgatory. 

(Copy.)  ''In  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son, 
and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.     Amen. 

*'  It  is  therefore  a  holy  and  wholesome  thought  to  pray 
for  the  dead  that  they  may  be  loosed  from  their  sins." 
Maccabees,  XII.  46. 

*' The  members  who  compose  the  society  of  the  office 
for  the  dead,  commenced  on  the  above  day  at  the  said 
place,  adopting  the  spirit  and  meaning  of  the  above  sacred 
text,  and  wishing,  in  conformity  with  the  divine  precepts 
of  the  holy  Catholic  church,  to  extend  their  charitable 
views  beyond  the  grave,  by  relieving,  as  far  as  in  them 
lies,  the  suffering  souls  in  purgatory,  and  inviting  all  ten- 
der hearted  catholics,  who  have  a  feeling  sensibility  of 
the  duty  they  owe  their  departed  parents,  relations,  and 
friends,  who  probably  may  stand  more  in  need  of  their 
commiseration  at  present  than  at  any  period  of  their  life- 
time, to  assist  in  the  charitable  and  pious  purpose  of 
shortening  the  duration  of  their  sufferings  by  the  most 
easy  means  imaginable,  have  agreed  to  and  adopted  the 
following  rules. 

"  Rule  1.  That  the  affairs  of  this  institution  shall  be 
regulated  by  the  superior,  rectors,  and  six  of  the  mem- 
bers who  compose  the  office  for  the  dead,  who  shall  at- 
tend on  every  Wednesday  night  at  half  past  eight  o'clock, 
through  the  year,  at  the  above  mentioned  place,  (i.  e.  St. 
James's  chapel,)  or  any  other  place  which  may  be  here- 
after appointed,  and  there,  with  attention  and  devotion 
recite  the  office  for  the  dead,  agreeable  to  the  intention 
that  shall  then  be  mentioned. 

"  Rule  2.  That  every  well  disposed  catholic,  wishing 
to  contribute  to  the  relief  of  the  suffering  souls  in  purga- 
tory, shall  pay  one  penny  per  week,  which  shall  be  ap- 
propriated to  the  procuring  of  masses  to  be  offered  up  for 


228  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

the  repose  of  the  souls  of  deceased  parents,  relations,  and 
friends,  and  of  all  the  subscribers  to  the  institution  in  par- 
ticular, and  the  faithful  departed  in  general. 

"  Rule  3.  That  on  the  first  Monday  of  every  month,  a 
mass  shall  be  offered  up  in  the  parish  chapel  of  St.  James, 
at  ten  o'clock,  for  the  spiritual  and  temporal  welfare  of 
the  subscribers  of  this  society. 

"  Rule  4.  That  the  superior,  rectors,  and  council  shall 
continue  in  office  for  six  calendar  months,  at  the  expirar 
tion  of  which  time,  candidates  shall  be  nominated  by  the 
persons  in  office,  who  shall  give  the  notice  to  the  whole 
body  of  members  who  compose  the  office  for  the  dead, 
that  they  may  punctually  attend  on  the  first  Wednesday 
night  in  July,  at  half-past  eight  o'clock,  and  on  the  first 
Wednesday  night  in  January,  for  the  purpose  of  electing 
a  superior,  rectors,  and  council,  to  serve  the  ensuing 
months,  and  so  in  succession. 

"  Rule  5.  That  each  subscriber  on  entering  this  socie- 
ty, do  purchase  a  copy  of  these  rules,  in  order  to  defray 
the  expenses,  incurred  by  printing  and  other  contingen- 
ces,  and  that  the  money  arising  from  the  weekly  sub- 
scriptions shall  be  disposed  of  to  the  most  necessitated 
clergymen,  who  shall  be  required  to  give  receipts  for 
what  they  are  paid. 

"Rule  6.  That  the  spiritual  benefits  of  this  institution 
shall  be  conferred  in  the  following  manner,  viz. — Each 
subscriber  shall  be  entitled  to  an  office  at  the  time  of  their 
death,  another  at  the  expiration  of  a  month,  and  one  at 
the  end  of  twelve  months  after  their  decease ;  also  the 
benefit  of  masses,  which  shall  be  procured  to  be  offered 
by  the  money  arising  from  subscriptions,  and  which  shall 
be  extended  to  their  parents,  relations,  and  friends,  in  the 
following  order.  That  is  to  say,  their  fathers,  mothers, 
brothers,  sisters,  uncles,  aunts,  and  if  married,  husbands, 
wives  and  children,  if  they  have  any  departed  who  lived 
to  maturity. 

"  Rule  7.  That  every  member  of  the  office  for  the  dead, 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  229 

who  serves  the  society  in  the  capacity  of  superior,  shall 
at  the  time  of  his  death  be  entitled  to  three  masses,  to  be 
offered  for  the  repose  of  his  soul ;  and  also  every  mem- 
ber who  serves  the  office  of  rector,  shall  be  entitled  to  the 
benefit  of  two  masses,  and  every  subscriber,  without  dis- 
tinction, shall  be  entitled  to  the  benefit  of  one  mass  each, 
provided  that  such  member  or  subscriber  shall  die  a 
natural  death,  be  six  months  a  subscriber  to  the  institu- 
tion, and  be  clear  of  all  dues  at  the  time  of  their  departure. 
That  care  shall  be  taken  by  the  surviving  superior  and 
rectors,  that  such  soul  masses  are  punctually  obtained 
ag-reeably  to  the  interest  and  meaning-  of  this  institution. 

"  Rule  8.  That  the  superior,  rectors,  and  council  be 
empowered  to  make,  as  occasion  shall  require,  such  by- 
laws as  they  shall  think  expedient,  provided  they  do  not 
interfere  with  the  spirit  of  these  rules,  said  by-laws  are 
to  be  laid  before  the  body  at  large  for  their  approbation, 
and  that  four  shall  form  a  quorum  on  the  council. 

"  Rule  9.  That  the  superior  shall,  on  every  all-souls' 
day,  advance  to  the  parish  priest  of  James  Street  chapel, 
whatever  sum^  is  necessary  for  obtaining  an  insertion 
into  the  mortality  list  of  the  altar,  the  names  of  the 
parents,  relations  and  friends,  of  all  the  subscribers  to  this 
institution,  to  be  recommended  to  the  prayers  of  the  con- 
gregation at  every  mass  throughout  the  year. 

"  Subscriptions  received,  and  subscribers  registered,  at 
the  chapel  every  Wednesday  evening,  from  seven  o'clock 
till  nine,  and  in  the  school  room  adjoining  the  chapel  on 
the  first  Sunday  of  February,  May,  August  and  No- 
vember, being  quarterly  days,  from  ten  o'clock,  until  one. 

"  The  books  to  be  open  for  the  inspection  of  subscribers. 
Price  three  fence.     J.  Coyne  Printer,  74  Cook  Street." 

Other  societies  of  a  similar  character  and  object,  have 
been  established  in  other  places.  But  this  will  suffice 
as  a  specimen.  •  What  we  may  ask  is  the  object  of  these 
institutions  ?  The  answer  is,  to  relieve  suffering  souls 
from  purgatory  by  the  easiest  means  imaginable.     And 

20 


230  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

what  are  these  means  ?  The  payment  of  a  penny  a  week 
as  the  easiest  way  to  raise  money  to  pay  for  masses. 
And  who  receives  the  money?  The  priests,  even  the 
most  necessitated.  But  cannot  the  priests,  who  have 
other  means  of  support  in  abundance,  say  masses  without 
pay?  No,  the  suffering-  souls  of  their  dear  flocks  may 
lie  there  for  ages  and  suffer  intensely,  when  they  could 
relieve  them  by  a  few  words  of  their  lips,  and  yet  they 
will  not  do  it  without  money !  What  then  becomes  of 
those  who  have  no  money  ?  Why  they  are  prayed  for  in 
the  lump  at  the  conclusion.  But  will  this  praying  for 
"the  aggregate  of  the  poor  relieve  their  souls  without 
money,  if  so,  why  not  the  rich,  why  not  all  1  The 
answer  must  be,  the  rich  have  money,  and  the  priests 
love  it  better  than  their  souls,  and  therefore  must  have  it. 
But  what  is  still  more  remarkable  concerning-  this 
system  of  swindling,  is  that  even  purgatory  itself  is 
graduated,  so  as  to  accommodate  the  different  characters 
that  go  thither  according  to  their  rank,  but  more  espe- 
cially according  to  their  purses,  or  those  of  their  friends. 
According  to  the  idle  dreams  of  popery,  there  are  eight 
different  apartments  in  purgatory,  of  different  de- 
grees of  intensity  of  heat. — One  for  kings,  one  for 
princes,  one  for  grandees,  one  for  noblemen,  one  for 
merchants  and  tradesmen,  one  for  ladies  of  quality, 
one  for  gentlemen's  and  tradesmen's  wives,  and  one  for 
poor  common  people.  The  last  contains  the  lowest  de- 
gree of  suffering,  and  therefore  is  not  of  much  importance. 
But  the  degree  of  suffering  rises  as  the  scale  of  apart- 
ments rises,  and  the  price  of  deliverance  is  in  proportion 
to  the  rank  of  the  sufferer  and  the  apartment  he  occupies, 
in  other  words,  in  proportion  to  his  supposed  ability  to 
pay.  And  what  is  amazingly  accommodating  to  the 
feelings  of  surviving  friends,  they  can,  by  paying  the 
stipulated  price,  remove  the  soul  of  a 'departed  friend 
from  a  lower  apartment  to  a  higher,  and  thus  place  it  in 
more  respectable  company,  though  in  greater  suffering. 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  231 

Thus  a  tradesman,  by  paying  the  fee,  may  have  the  soul 
of  his  departed  wife  prayed  into  the  company  of  ladies  of 
quality.  And  who  would  grudge  a  little  money,  or 
shrink  from  suffering  to  gain  such  an  object  ?  "  I  knew," 
says  a  late  writer,  "  a  shoemaker's  wife,  very  ignorant, 
proud,  and  full  of  punctilios  of  honor,  who  went  to  a 
Franciscan  friar,  and  told  him  she  wished  to  kno\^ 
whether  the  soul  of  her  father  was  in  purgatory  or  not, 
and  in  what  apartment  ?  The  friar  asked  how  many 
masses  she  could  spare  for  it  ?  She  said  two.  The  friar 
answered,  your  father's  soul  is  among  the  beggars.  Upon 
hearing  this,  the  poor  woman  began  to  cry,  and  desired 
the  friar  to  put  him,  if  possible,  in  the  fourth  apartment, 
and  she  would  pay  him  for  it.  The  quantum  being 
settled,  the  friar  did  promise  to  put  him  there  the  next 
day.  So  the  poor  woman  ever  since  gives  out,  that  her 
father  was  a  rich  merchant,  for  it  was  revealed  to  her 
that  his  soul  was  among  the  merchants  in  purgatory." 
Now  what  can  we  say,  but  that  the  pope  is  the  Pluto,  or 
governor  of  this  subterranean  kingdom,  the  priests  and 
friars  are  the  quarter  masters,  who  distribute  the  souls 
according  to  their  own  fancy,  and  have  power  to  sell  the 
different  apartments,  like  so  many  stalls  in  the  market  ; 
to  put,  for  money  enough,  the  soul  of  a  cobbler  into  the 
apartment  of  a  king,  and  a  washerwoman  into  that  of 
her  mistress. 

When  people  have  paid  so  much  money  for  the  relief 
of  the  souls  of  their  friends  in  purgatory,  it  is  natural 
for  them  to  wish  to  know  whether  it  produces  any  effect. 
To  gratify  this  curiosity,  the  papist  priests  have  a  device, 
which  is  almost  too  ridiculous  for  sober  narration,  and 
yet,  which  fully  satisfies  the  feelings  of  their  ignorant, 
deluded  followers.  When  inquiries  of  the  above  de- 
scription are  made,  the  priests  bring  the  inquirers  to  the 
tabernacle  of  the  altar,  and  cause  them  to  look  in,  when 
they  are  told,  that  if  they  see  the  figure  of  a  mouse 
within  the  tabernacle,  it  is  the  soul  still  in  purgatory,  and 


233  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

must  have  more  masses ;  but  if  they  see  no  such  figure, 
then  the  soul  is  in  heaven.  When,  therefore,  the  mass 
is  over,  the  inquirer  is  brought  to  a  little  door,  which  has 
a  glass  light,  through  which  he  looks.  And,  O  pitiful ! 
he  sees  a  mouse,  which  the  friars  keep  for  that  purpose, 
and  then  he  must  give  money  for  more  masses,  till  the 
mouse  disappears.  Thus  the  priests  have  the  means  of 
extorting  the  last  shilling  from  their  dupes.  Another 
account  of  a  similar  de\'ice  is  thus  given  by  a  late  au- 
thor : — "  About  seventeen  years  ago,  a  lady  now  living 
in  Edinburgh,  had  occasion  to  be  in  Dublin,  and  through 
means  of  a  gentleman  from  Scotland,  was  introduced  to 
a  popish  chapel,  on  an  occasion  when  a  number  of  souls 
were  to  be  translated  out  of  purgatory.  The  place  was 
very  brilliantly  lighted.  The  priest  was  seated  on  an 
eminence,  with  a  table  before  him.  The  audience  was 
in  expectation,  when  a  relation  of  each  of  the  deceased 
persons  whose  souls  were  that  night  to  be  released,  ap- 
peared; and  in  passing  before  the  priest,  each  laid  an 
elegant  well-filled  purse  on  the  table  before  him,  who, 
after  nodding  satisfaction,  most  readily  conveyed  it  to  a 
receptacle,  where  it  might  be  preserved  till  a  fit  opportu- 
nity of  otherwise  disposing  of  it.  Having  received  his- 
wages,  the  priest  immediately  began  his  operations,  and 
soon  intimated  that  the  souls  were  translated,  and  would 
immediately  make  their  appearance.  Immediately  a 
moveable  part  of  the  floor,  unoccupied  of  course,  opened, 
and  there  issued  forth  from  it  living  creatures,  as  black 
as  jet.  When  the  little  creatures  began  to  move  about, 
in  order  to  prevent  the  deception  from  being  detected,  the 
lights  were  all  extinguished,  as  if  by  magic.  The  lady 
had  eyed  the  souls'  representatives  very  narrowly,  and 
had  observed  that  there  was  one  of  them  within  her 
reach ;  and  with  a  degree  of  courage  which  would  not 
have  been  exercised  by  every  one  in  her  circumstances, 
she  seized  and  secured  it.  She  took  it  home,  and  showed 
it  to  the  gentleman  who  had  introduced  her  to  the  chapel. 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  233 

when  it  turned  out  to  be  a  crab  dressed  in  black  velvet. 
I  need  scarcely  add,  that  the  lady  was  induced,  by  the 
entreaties  of  the  gentleman,  to  destroy  the  animal,  and 
maintain  secrecy,  at  least  in  Ireland,  as  she  valued  her 
own  life."  The  person  who  gave  this  information  adds, 
"  I  have  the  story  from  a  daughter  of  the  lady  who  laid 
hold  on  the  emancipated  spirit,  and  I  believe  her  entitled 
to  the  highest  credit ;  otherwise,  I  would  not  have  trou- 
bled you  with  the  story." 

The  custom  of  soliciting  contributions  at  funerals  for 
the  souls  in  purgatory,  is  also  worthy  of  particular  atten- 
tion.    Previous  to  the  procession,  mass  is  performed  for 
the  soul  of  the  deceased ;  immediately  after  which,  the 
priest  takes  measures  to  collect  money  from  the  persons 
assembled.     The  priest  commences  by  saying,  "  Who 
gives  for  the  soul  of  the  faithful  departed  ?"     The  persons 
nearest  then  throw  in  their  offerings,  and  then  others,  as 
they  can  find  occasion.     The  offerings  are  thrown  into  a 
metallic  trencher  placed  on  the  coffin.     When  any  one 
throws  in  a  sixpence,  the  priest  cries,  "  God  bless  you ;" 
and  when  a  shilling  is  given,  he  says,  "  God  Almighty 
bless  you,"  but  takes  no  notice  of  coppers.     As  the  sound 
of  the  coin  in  the  trencher  becomes  less  frequent,  the 
priest  becomes  more  vociferous.     He  cries  aloud,  "  Who 
will  give  more  for  the  soul  of  the  faithful  departed  ?" 
Some  of  those  who  had  previously  contributed  make  an 
addition,  and  others  are  provoked  to  follow  the  example  ; 
while  the  former,  excited  by  the  cries  of  the  priest,  give 
perhaps  a  third  time.     The  priest  still  vociferates,  "  Will 
nobody  give  more  for  the  soul  of  the  faithful  departed  ? 
oh !  will  no  one  give  more  ?"  until  the  clamor  ceases  to 
have  effect.     I  hardly  need  add  that  the  ceremony  con- 
cludes by  the  priest's  putting  all  the  money  in  his  pocket. 
This  exhibition  is  by  no  means  confined  to  the  dwelling- 
houses  of  deceased  persons.     It  is  frequently  repeated 
on  the  way  to  the  place  of  interment.     The  object  of  this 
is  to  get  more  money  from  those  who  join  the  procession 


234  HISTORY    OF    POPERY, 

after  it  leaves  the  house,  the  number  of  whom  is  much 
greater  than  that  of  those  who  assemble  at  the  house ; 
hence  it  is  customary  for  the  priest,  who  walks  before 
the  procession  alone,  with  a  white  band  on  his  hat,  and  a 
book  in  his  hand,  whenever  he  judges  the  assemblage  to 
be  at  the  highest  point.  A  gentleman  who  has  been  in 
Ireland  says  i — "  I  was  present  at  one  of  these  public 
cantings  in  the  neighborhood  of  Lurgan,  in  the  county 
of  Armagh,  in  the  year  1802,  when  the  coffin,  having 
been  taken  from  the  hearse  and  laid  upon  the  road,  a 
few  hundred  yards  before  coming  to  the  burial  ground, 
the  process  which  I  have  described  took  place,  in  pre- 
sence of  an  immense  multitude." 

It  will,  perhaps,  be  asked  by  some,  whence  this  doc- 
trine of  purgatory  was  derived.  The  answer  is,  surely 
not  from  the  bible.  For,  though  papists  attempt  to  press 
some  passages  into  the  service,  it  is  with  such  an  ill  grace, 
that  to  notice  these  lucubrations  would  be  giving  them 
too  much  importance.  No  person  of  the  least  sense,  who 
gives  any  weight  to  scripture  testimony,  can  fail  to  disco- 
ver, from  their  own  showing,  that  they  are  destitute  of  all 
foothold  on  the  pages  of  inspiration.  What  they  derive 
from  apocryphal  books  they  are  welcome  to,  as  it  signi- 
fies nothing  to  the  purpose.  The  true  origin  of  this  doc- 
trine is  unquestionably  from  the  rites  of  heathenism. 
For,  that  the  ancient  heathen  believed  in  such  a  state, 
and  performed  rites  for  the  dead,  to  facilitate  their  pro- 
gress after  death  to  the  fair  Elysian  fields,  is  undeniable. 
Virgil  describes  the  rites  of  the  funeral  pile  as  requisite 
to  the  repose  of  the  departed  spirit ;  and  thus  he  intro- 
duces the  ghost  of  Palinurus  as  complaining  of  the  neg- 
lect of  his  friends  in  this  respect.  It  is  related  of  Plato, 
that  he  divided  departed  souls  into  three  states.  Those 
who  had  purified  themselves  with  philosophy,  and  ex- 
celled in  morality  of  life,  would  enjoy  eternal  felicity  io 
the  islands  of  the  blest,  without  labor  or  trouble.  Others, 
having  lived  exceedingly  wicked,  and  become  incapable 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  235 

of  cure,  he  supposed,  were  at  their  death  thrown  head- 
long into  hell,  there  to  be  tormented  forever.  But  be- 
sides these,  he  supposed  there  was  a  middle  sort,  who, 
though  they  had  sinned,  had  yet  repented,  and  therefore 
seemed  to  be  in  a  curable  condition ;  these,  he  thought, 
went  down  likewise  to  hell,  to  be  purified  and  absolved 
by  grievous  torments.  But  after  that,  he  supposed  they 
would  be  delivered  again,  and  attain  to  distinguished  ho- 
nor and  happiness.  There  is,  therefore,  no  question 
whence  the  doctrine  of  purgatory  originated.  About  the 
end  of  the  sixth  century,  pope  Gregory  began  to  counte- 
nance the  doctrine,  and  it  gradually  crept  in  among  the 
other  relics  of  ancient  paganism,  which  corrupted  the 
church.  And  from  that  time  the  dreams  of  superstition 
respecting  the  state  of  the  dead  began  to  prevail.  The 
flames  of  JEtna.  and  Vesuvius  were  supposed  to  have 
been  kindled  on  purpose  to  torment  departed  souls. 
Some  were  seen,  or  supposed  to  be  so,  broiling  on  grid- 
irons and  spits  ;  some  burning  in  the  fire  ;  others  shiver- 
ing in  water ;  and  others  smoking  in  the  chimney.  The 
very  roads  to  purgatory  were  discovered ;  one  in  Sicily, 
another  in  Pozzueto,  and  a  third  in  Ireland.  One  was 
found  out  by  the  help  of  an  angel,  and  another  by  the  aid 
of  the  devil.  And  yet  it  was  a  long  time  before  this  doc- 
trine became  fully  established  among  papists.  Even  in 
the  twelfth  century  it  was  questioned  by  some.  But  by 
degrees  it  has  at  last  become  an  essential  part  of  popery  ; 
and  as  such,  it  will  now  be  left  to  the  decision  of  an  en- 
lightened community. 

Other  doctrines  of  popery  might  be  specified  under 
this  general  head,  such  as  justification  by  our  own  righ- 
teousness— extreme  unction,  celibacy  of  the  clergy,  &c. 
But  the  most  important  articles  have  been  examined. 
And  it  is  not  necessary  to  view  the  minor  points. 
Enough  has  been  said  to  illustrate  the  spirit  and  genius 
of  popery  as  to  its  theory  or  principles.     It  is  now  time 


236  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

to  turn  OUT  attention  to  its  practice,  which  will  be  done 
in  the  following  sections.  - 


SECTION    VII. 

IDOLATRY    OF    POPERY. 

Here  it  may  be  proper  in  the  first  place  to  settle  what 
is  to  be  understood  by  idolatry.  This  point  will  be  best 
settled  by  reference  to  the  commands  of  the  decalogue, 
which  relate  to  this  subject.  These  commands  are  two, 
viz.,  the  first  and  second.  The  first  prohibits  the  wor- 
ship of  rival  deities  under  any  form,  or  in  any  manner. 
No  object  of  worship,  besides  the'  true  and  everlasting 
God  was  to  be  in  any  way  allowed.  The  second  com- 
mand prohibits  the  worship  of  the  true  God  by  images 
or  visible  representations,  or  in  any  way  which  he  has 
not  prescribed.  Idolatry  then,  according  to  the  law  of 
God,  includes  two  branches,  viz.,  the  worship  of  rival 
deities,  either  supreme  or  subordinate,  and  the  worship 
of  one  deity  by  visible  representations.  It  is  therefore 
utterly  in  vain  to  plead  for  the  use  of  images,  that  they 
are  not  worshipped  as  God,  or  as  containing  a  resident 
divinity,  but  as  representatives  of  the  invisible  God. 
This  is  the  very  sense  in  which  the  second  command 
forbids  the  use  of  images.  And  the  reason  is,  that  no 
proper  visible  representation  of  deity  can  be  made. 
Every  thing  of  this  kind  is  false,  and  therefore  instead 
of  being  a  help  to  v/orship,  it  is  a  hindrance.  All  who 
worship  God  in  this  way  worship  him  through  a  false 
medium,  and  therefore  their  views  of  God  are  false,  their 
worship  is  false,  and  for  this  very  reason  forbidden.  It 
may  be  added  that  all  the  idolatry  of  the  pagan  world  ori- 
ginated in  this  improper  use  of  images,  and  taking  the 
liberty  to  multiply  the  objects  of  worship.     The  more 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  237 

intelligent  of  the  heathen,  and  especially  in  the  early- 
stages  of  paganism,  will  tell  the  same  story.  They 
say  that  they  do  not  worship  the  idol  as  God,  but  in  the 
first  place  as  a  representative  of  God,  then  as  having  a 
resident  divinity  in  it,  and  lastly,  when  the  course  of  de- 
gradation is  finished,  the  image  itself  may  be  worship- 
ped as  God  by  the  multitude.  And  it  may  be  questioned 
very  seriously,  whether  the  body  of  papists  understand 
the  distinction  which  some  make  between  allov/able 
and  idolatrous  worship.  Indeed  it  is  very  certain  that 
many  papists  know  nothing  of  God  beyond  what  they 
see  in  the  image.  The  papists  will  not  clear  themselves 
of  idolatry  by  their  subtle  distinctions  which  have  no 
practical  influence.  God  is  a  spirit ;  and  they  that 
worship  him  must  worship  him  in  spirit. 

The  charge  of  idolatry  lies  against  popery  in  two  re- 
spects. 

1.  In  multiplying  the  objects  of  worship  in  violation 
of  the  first  command, 

2.  In  worshipping  God  by  means  of  images,  in  vio- 
lation of  the  second  command. 

In  respect  to  the  worship  of  rival  gods  in  violation  of 
the  first  command,  that  paid  to  the  virgin  Mary,  and  to 
the  saints,  constitutes  the  substance.  In  whatever  man- 
ner these  objects  are  worshipped,  whether  by  images,  or 
direct  prayer,  it  is  all  the  same.  Because,  here  the 
charge  of  idolatry  is  grounded  not  on  the  form  but  the 
object  of  worship.  If  then  the  image  be  considered  a 
representative  in  this  case,  it  represents  what  ought  not 
to  be  worshipped. 

The  popish  worship  of  the  virgin  Mary  is  idolatry. 
And  here  it  will  not  be  disputed  that  the  virgin  is  a  crea- 
ture, and  simply  a  creature.  The  fact  that  she  was  the 
instrument  of  giving  a  human  body  to  the  divine  Saviour, 
does  not  alter  her  nature  or  character.  That  this  is  cor- 
rect is  evident,  because  it  agrees  with  the  uniform  testi- 
mony of  scripture.     Not  a   syllable  is  there  recorded 


338  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

concerning  any  peculiar  honor  being  due  to  the  mother 
of  Christ.  With  this  in  view,  let  us  now  look  at  the 
practice  of  popery  relative  to  the  virgin  Mary.  It  is  a 
matter  of  notoriety  that  every  devout  papist,  or  who 
wishes  to  be  esteemed  so,  pays  her  the  most  extravagant 
honor  and  veneration.  Prayers  are  offered  directly  to 
her  as  if  to  a  divine  being,  and  blessings  are  supplicated 
from  her,  as  from  an  almighty  patroness.  In  all  forms 
of  devotion  she  has  a  share.  The  "  Ave  Maria,^^  or 
hail  Mary,  accompanies  the  "  Pater  Noster^'  or  our  Fa- 
ther. "  Evening,  morning  and  noon"  said  the  Psalmist, 
"  will  I  pray  unto  thee  and  cry  aloud."  The  papist  trans- 
fers these  devotions  to  Mary.  In  tender  childhood,  he 
is  taught  to  cherish  for  her  the  profoundest  reverence, 
and  highest  veneration.  During  his  life  she  is  the 
object  of  his  regard,  and  five  solemn  festivals,  annually 
observed  to  her  honor,  call  forth  his  affections.  In  the 
hour  of  death  he  is  taught  to  rely  on  her  mercy.  To 
the  ignorant  devotee  she  is  more  than  Christ  or  than 
God,  he  believes  she  can  command  her  son,  that  to 
her  intercessions  nothing  can  be  denied,  and  to  her  pow- 
er all  things  are  possible.  This  view  of  the  subject  will 
be  supported  by  the  following  extracts  from  popish 
books.  The  Breviary  holds  the  following  language. 
"  O  holy  Mary,  succor  the  miserable,  help  the  faint- 
hearted, comfort  the  afflicted,  pray  for  the  people,  inter- 
cede for  the  clergy,  make  supplication  for  the  devout 
female  sex,  let  all  be  sensible  of  thy  help  who  celebrate 
thy  holy  commemoration.  Grant,  we  beseech  thee,  O 
Lord  God,  that  we,  thy  servants,  may  enjoy  perpetual 
health  of  body  and  mind,  and,  by  the  glorious  interces- 
sion of  blessed  Mary,  ever  a  virgin,  may  be  delivered 
from  present  sorrows,  and  come  to  eternal  joy,  through 
Quv  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  239 

Salve  Regina,  or  Hail  Q,ueen  of  Heaven. 

"  Hail  to  the  queen  who  reigns  above, 
Mother  of  clemency  and  love, 
Hail  thou,  our  hope,  life,  sweetness ;  we 
Eve's  banished  children  cry  to  thee. 

We  from  this  wretched  vale  of  tears, 
Send  sighs  and  groans  unto  thine  ears, 
O,  then  sweet  advocate  bestow  ; 
A  pitying  look  on  us  below. 

After  this  exile  let  us  see 

Our  blessed  Jesus,  born  of  thee ; 

O  merciful,  O  pious  maid, 

O  gracious  Mary  lend  thine  aid." 

The  above  may  serve  as  a  specimen  of  popish  devo- 
tion. The  following  is  a  prayer  of  St.  Bernard.  "  Re- 
member, O  most  holy  virgin  Mary,  that  no  one  ever  had 
recourse  to  your  protection,  implored  your  help,  or  sought 
your  mediation,  without  obtaining  relief.  Confiding, 
therefore,  in  your  goodness,  behold  me  a  penitent  sinner, 
sighing  out  my  sins  before  you,  beseeching  you  to  adopt 
me  for  your  son,  and  to  take  upon  you  the  care  of  my 
eternal  salvation.  Despise  not,  O  mother  of  Jesus,  the 
petition  of  your  humble  client,  but  hear  and  grant  my 
prayer."  To  this  may  properly  be  added  a  part  of  the 
litany  of  our  lady  of  Loretto,  (i.  e.  Mary.)  "  We  fly  to 
thy  patronage,  O  holy  mother  of  God,  despise  not  our 
petitions  in  our  necessities,  but  deliver  us  from  all  dan- 
gers, O  ever  glorious  and  blessed  virgin — holy  Mary,  holy 
mother  of  God,  holy  virgin  of  virgins,  mother  of  Christ, 
mother  of  divine  grace,  mother  most  pure,  mother  most 
chaste,  mother  undefiled,  mother  untouched,  mother  most 
amiable,  mother  most  admirable,  mother  of  our  Creator, 
mother  of  our  Redeemer,  virgin  most  prudent,  virgin 
most  venerable,  virgin  most  renowned,  virgin  most 
powerful,  virgin  most  merciful,  virgin  most  faithful, 
mirror  of  justice,  seat  of  wisdom,  cause  of  our  joy,  spi- 
ritual vessel,  vessel  of  honor,  vessel  of  singular  devotion, 
mystical  rose,  tower  of  David,  tower  of  ivory,  house  of 
gold,  ark  of  the  covenant,  gate  of  heaven,  morning  star, 


240  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

health  of  the  weak,  refuge  of  sinners,  comforter  of  the 
afflicted,  help  of  Christians,  queen  of  angels,  queen  of 
patriarchs,  queen  of  prophets,  queen  of  apostles,  queen 
of  martyrs,  queen  of  confessors,  queen  of  virgins,  queen 
of  all  saints  pray  for  us." 

The  popish  school  book  says,  "  if  you  will  be  a  true 
child  and  a  sincere  servant  of  the  blessed  virgin,  you 
must  be  careful  to  perform  four  things.  I.  Have  a  great 
apprehension  of  displeasing  her  by  mortal  sin,  and  of 
afflicting  her  motherly  heart  by  dishonoring  her  son, 
and  destroying  your  soul.  And  if  you  chance  to  fall 
into  that  misfortune,  have  recourse  readily  to  her,  that 
she  may  be  your  intercessor  in  reconciling  you  to  her 
son,  whom  you  have  extremely  provoked.  2.  Love  and 
imitate  her  virtues,  especially  her  chastity  and  humility. 

3.  Have  recourse  to  her  in  all  your  spiritual  necessities, 
and  to  that  end  offer  to  her  daily  some  particular  prayers. 

4.  Be  mindful  to  invoke  her  in  temptations,  and  in  the 
dangers  you  find  yourself  in  of  offending  God.  You 
cannot  shew  your  respect  better,  than  by  applying  your- 
self to  her  in  those  urgent  necessities,  and  you  can  find 
no  succor  more  ready  and  favorable  than  hers.  If  you 
perform  this  you  will  have  a  true  devotion  to  the  blessed 
virgin,  you  will  be  of  the  number  of  her  real  children, 
she  will  be  your  mother,  under  whose  protection  you  will 
never  perish." 

The  foUowina:  is  a  curious  illustration  of  the  effect  of 
popery  in  respect  to  the  confidence  placed  in  the  protec- 
tion of  Mary  in  the  hour  of  death.  Describing  an  Italian 
banditti,  a  traveller  says  :  **  Every  robber  had  a  silver 
heart,  containing  a  picture  of  the  Madonna,  (or  virgin 
Mary,)  and  child,  suspended  by  a  red  ribbon  to  his  neck, 
and  fastened  with  another  of  the  same  color  to  his  side. 
They  talked  pretty  freely  with  their  prisoners  about 
themselves  and  their  habits  of  life,  which  they  maintained 
arose  from  necessity  rather  than  choice.  They  shewed 
them  the  heart  and  picture  of  the  Madonna,  which  each 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  241 

had  suspended  about  his  neck,  saying, '  we  know  that  we 
are  likely  to  die  a  violent  death,  but  in  our  hour  of  need 
we  have  these,  (touching  their  muskets,)  to  struggle  for 
our  lives  with,  and  this,  (kissing  the  image  of  the  vir- 
gin,) to  make  our  death  easy.^  " 

The  foundation  of  this  idolatry  seems  to  have  been  the 
belief,  that  the  body  of  Mary,  after  her  death,  was  in  a 
miraculous  manner,  raised  from  the  tomb  and  taken  to 
heaven.  The  substance  of  the  story  is  as  follows.  "  She 
lived,  as  the  papists  suppose,  to  the  age  of  63.  At  the 
time  of  her  death,  as  St.  Dennis,  and  St.  Damascene  are 
said  to  testify,  all  the  apostles,  wherever  dispersed,  were 
miraculously  brought  together,  except  St.  Thomas,  who 
arrived  the  third  day  after.  Both  before  and  after  her 
death,  for  several  days,  the  angels  and  powers  of  heaven 
are  said  to  have  sung  most  melodious  hymns.  They 
buried  her  in  Gethsemane  ;  but  for  the  sake  of  St.  Tho- 
mas, who  desired  to  see  and  reverence  the  sacred  body, 
they  opened  the  sepulchre  the  third  day,  and  finding  it 
void  of  the  holy  body,  but  exceedingly  fragrant,  ihey  re- 
turned, assuredjy  deeming  that  her  body  was  assumpted 
into  heaven,  as  the  church  of  God  (i.  e.  popery)  holdeth, 
being  most  agreeable  to  the  singular  privilege  of  the 
mother  of  God,  and  therefore  celebrated  most  solemnly 
the  day  of  her  assumption."  It  is  needless  to  say,  that 
this  is  all  modern  invention,  not  indeed  a  cunningly  de- 
vised fable,  for  it  is  so  silly  as  to  be  sickening,  but  it  is  a 
fable.  It  appears  from  the  whole  evangelical  history, 
that  Christ  never  intended  that  Mary  should  be  honored 
with  any  peculiar  attention  above  his  other  followers. 
He  always  rebuked  any  intimation  of  such  honor.  It  is 
therefore  of  comparatively  modern  date  that  this  fable 
has  been  devised.  Perhaps  enough  has  been  said  to  il- 
lustrate the  idolatrous  devotion  of  papists  to  the  Virgin. 
But  as  this  constitutes  so  large  a  portion  of  the  entire 
mass  of  popish  idolatry,  justice  to  the  subject  requires  a 
few  more  extracts. 

21 


242  HISPORY    OF    POPERY. 

It  is  related  by  Bernardine,  that  Mary  herself  once 
appeared  to  St.  Thomas  Becket,  and  spake  as- follows. 
"  Rejoice  and  be  glad  and  be  joyful  with  me  !"  said  the 
virgin  Mary,  "  because  my  glory  doth  excel  the  dignity 
of  all  the  saints,  and  all  the  blessed  spirits,  and  I  alone 
have  greater  glory  than  all  the  angels  and  sain.ts  togeth- 
er. Rejoice,  because,  that  as  the  sun  doth  enlighten  the 
day,  and  the  world,  so  my  brightness  doth  enlighten  the 
whole  celestial  world  !  Rejoice,  because  the  whole  host 
of  heaven  obeyeth  me,  reverenceth  and  honoreth  me  ! 
Rejoice,  because  my  son  is  always  obedient  to  me  and 
my  will,  and  my  prayers  he  always  heareth  !"  or  as  oth- 
ers do  relate,  "  the  will  of  the  blessed  Trinity  and  mine 
is  the  same,  and  whatsoever  doth  please  me,  the  whole 
Trinity,  with  unspeakable  favor,  doth  give  consent  unto. 
Rejoice,  because  God  doth  always,  at  my  pleasure,  re- 
ward my  servitors  in  this  world,  and  in  the  world  to 
come  !  Rejoice,  because  I  sit  next  to  the  Holy  Trinity, 
and  am  clothed  with  my  body  glorified  !  Rejoice,  be- 
cause I  am  certain  and  sure  that  these  my  joys  will 
always  stand,  and  never  be  finished  nor  fajl !  And  who- 
soever, by  rejoicing  with  those  spiritual  joys,  shall  wor- 
ship me  in  this  world,  at  the  time  of  the  departure  of  his 
soul  out  of  the  body,  he  shall  obtain  my  presence,  and  I 
will  deliver  his  soul  from  the  malignant  enemies,  and 
present  it,  in  the  sight  of  my  son,  that  it  may  possess  joys 
with  me."  They  tell  us  that  many  that  would  not  sin 
on  Saturday,  for  the  reverence  of  the  virgin,  whatever 
they  did  on  the  Lord's  day,  seem  to  have  blessed  the 
virgin  in  greater  veneration,  than  Christ  her  son,  moved 
thereunto,  out  of  simplicity  more  than  out  of  know- 
ledge. Yet  that  the  son  of  God  doth  bear  with  the  sim- 
plicity of  those  men  and  women,  because  he  is  not  igno- 
rant that  the  honor  of  the  mother  doth  redound  to  the 
child.  They  argue  farther,  that  if  a  cardinal  have  this 
privilege,  that  if  he  put  his  cap  upon  the  head  of  any  one 
that  is  led  unto  justice,  he  is  freed  thereby,  then  by  an  ar- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  243 

gument  drawn  from  the  stronger,  the  cloak  of  the  blessed 
virgin  is  able  to  deliver  us  from  all  evil,  her  mercy 
being  so-  large,  that  if  she  should  see  any  man  who  did 
devoutly  make  her  crown,  (that  is  to  say,  repeat  the  rosa- 
ry or  chaplet  of  prayers  made  for  her  worship,)  to  be 
drawn  unto  punishment  in  the  midst  of  a  thousand  devils, 
she  would  presently  rescue  him,  and  not  permit  that  any 
one  should  have  any  evil  end,  who  did  study  reverently 
to  make  her  crown.  They  add  moreover,  that  for  every 
one  of  these  crowns,  a  man  shall  obtain  two  hundred  and 
seventy  three  thousand,  seven  hundred  and  fifty-eight 
days  of  indulgence  ;  and  that  Pope  Sixtus  IV.  granted 
an  indulgence  of  twelve  thousand  years  for  every  time 
that  a  man,  in  a  state  of  grace,  should  repeat  this  short 
orison  or  salutation  of  the  Virgin,  which  by  many  is 
inserted  in  her  crown,  viz.  "  Hail  most  holy  Mary,  the 
mother  of  God,  the  queen  of  heaven,  the  gate  of  paradise, 
the  lady  of  the  world,  thou  art  a  singular  and  pure  vir- 
gin, thou  didst  bear  Christ  Avithout  sin  ;  thou  didst  bear 
the  Creator  and  Saviour  of  the  world,  in  whom  I  do  not 
doubt.  Deliver  me  from  all  evil  and  pray  for  my  sins. 
Amen." 

In  the  crown  composed  by  Bonaventure,  the  following 
is  one  of  the  orisons  prescribed  to  be  said.  "  O  empress, 
and  our  most  holy  lady,  by  the  authority  of  a  mother, 
command  thy  beloved  son,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that 
he  would  vouchsafe  to  lift  up  our  minds  from  the  love  of 
earthly  things  unto  heavenly  desires,  which  is  suitable 
unto  that  verse  which  we  read  in  the  35th  Psalm  of  his 
lady's  Psalm.  Incline  the  countenance  of  God  upon  us, 
and  compel  him  to  have  mercy  upon  sinners."  It  must 
here  be  stated  by  explanation,  that  a  Psalter  has  been 
composed  by  papists  for  the  express  worship  of  Mary,  in 
which  those  passages  that  are  usually  directed  to  the  only 
wise  God,  are  applied  to  the  virgin.  The  above  quo- 
tation is  from  this  book.  The  expression  compel,  seemed 
a  little  too  harsh  for  modern  ears,  so  that  it  has  been 


344  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

qualified  in  some  editions,  so  as  to  read,  compel  him  by 
thy  prayers,  to  have  mercy  on  sinners. 

It  is  here  to  be  remarked  that  the  papists  are  highly 
offended  at  being  called  idolaters,  and  it  may  not  be 
amiss  to  spend  a  few  moments  in  examining  the  plea  by 
which  they  endeavour  to  avoid  this  charge.     They  pre- 
tend that  when  they  pray  to  the  virgin  Mary,  they  mean 
only  to  ask  the  benefit  of  her  prayers,  as  one  Christian 
friend  asks  the  prayers  of  another.     And  that  when  they 
worship  her,  they  mean  only  to  give  that  civil  respect 
which  is  due  to  a  superior.     They  have  accordingly 
different  words  for  expressing  their  different  degrees  of 
worship.   Lato-ia,  they  say,  means  divine  worship,  which 
they  give  to  God  alone.     Doulia,  signifies  that  inferior 
sort  of  worship  which  is  due  to  saints  and  angels.     And 
beyond  this,  they  have  their  Hyperdoulia,  which  signifies 
that  superior  kind  of  inferior  worship  which  is  due  to  a 
creature  so  exalted  as  the  virgin  Mary.     This  may  look 
specious  in  theory.     But  of  what  use  are  these  capillary 
distinctions  to  the  great  body  of  men?     If  a  man  is  seen 
on  his  knees  praying  to  the  virgin  Mary  as  the  source  of 
all  good,  and  trusting  his  salvation  to  her  hands,  who 
will  feel  that  he  pays  her  only  civil  respect  ?     Where,  in 
Christian  countries,  is  such  respect  shewn  to  superior 
creatures?    Even  angels  refused  to  receive  such  homage. 
Who  ever  asked  the  prayers  of  Christian  friends  in  this 
manner  ?     Suppose  one  Christian  neighbor  should  go  to 
the  house  of  another,  and  should  fall  on  his  knees  and 
utter  the  language  addressed  to  the  virgin  Mary,  would 
he  not  be  esteemed  mad  ?     Besides,  the  terms  Latria, 
and  Doulia,  in  the  original,  have  no  such  distinction  in 
their  meaning  as  that  made  by  papists.     They  are  used 
indifferently  for  divine  worship,  and  when  one  is  used 
to  denote  civil  respect,  it  is  connected  with  other  words, 
which  limit  its  meaning,   and  guard  against  idolatry. 
Whatever  then  may  be  the  theory  of  popery  on  this 
subject,  its  practice  is  downright  idolatry,  such  as  no 


HISTORY    OF     POPERY.  245 

created  being  can  be  justified  in  receiving.  Take  the 
following  prayer  from  Cardinal  Noailles  as  an  example.. 
"  Give  us  access  to  thy  Son,  Mary,  who  has  found  grace 
before  the  Lord,  who  art  blessed  among  women,  who  hast 
brought  life  into  the  world,  and  art  the  mother  of  salva- 
tion. Let  him  who  hath  been  given  us  by  thee,  receive 
us  by  thee  ;  let  thy  purity  excuse  to  him  our  corruption, 
let  thy  humility,  which  hath  been  so  agreeable  to  God, 
obtain  pardon  of  our  vanity,  let  the  abundance  of  thy 
charity  cover  the  multitude  of  our  sins,  and  thy  glorious 
fruitfulness  shed  on  us  a  happy  fruitfulness  of  merits  and 
good  works.  Thou  art  our  queen  or  mediator,  our  ad- 
vocate. Reconcile  us  with  thy  son,  recommend  us  to  thy 
son,  present  us  to  thy  son.  See  again  we  come  to  thee, 
fruitful  mother,  mother  without  spot,  in  whom,  God  the 
master  of  the  universe,  who  dwelleth  in  other  saints 
spiritually,  hath  dwelt  bodily." 

Though  it  may  be  said  that  this  prayer  is  as  remark- 
able for  blasphemy  as  idolatry,  yet  who  will  say  there  is 
no  idolatry  here  ?  Is  not  divine  perfection  requisite,  and 
supposed  to  exist  in  a  being  to  whom  such  requests  are 
made  ?  If  Mary  were  regarded  merely  as  a  departed 
saint,  how  is  she  to  hear  or  gain  a  knowledge  of  these 
requests  ?  Do  departed  saints  hear  human  language  ? 
Moreover,  how  is  Mary,  as  a  saint,  to  attend  to  all  the 
different  prayers  of  her  votaries  in  various  parts  of  the 
world  at  the  same  time  ?  On  some  of  her  festivals,  there 
may  be  supposed  to  be  millions  of  prayers  ascending  to 
her  from  different  parts  of  the  globe  at  once.  Now  if  she 
is  a  mere  saint  of  higher  order,  how  is  she  to  hear  these 
prayers  ?  and  if  she  cannot  hear  them,  why  are  they 
made?  No,  the  worship  of  Mary  implies  that  her  vo- 
taries esteem  her  to  be  divine,  to  possess  omniscience  and 
omnipresence.  Otherwise  their  worship  would  be  too 
barefaced  an  absurdity  to  obtain  credit  even  with  papists. 
A  few  additional  examples  to  illustrate  the  grossness  of 
this  worship,  will  close  this  branch  of  papal  idolatry, 

21* 


246  HISTORY    01?    POPtUV. 

Bernardine  relates  a  vision  which  he  says  was  shown  to 
St.  Francis.     He  saw  two  ladders  that  reached  from 
earth  to  heaven,  the  one  red,  upon  which  Christ  leaned, 
and  from  which  many  fell  back  and  could  not  ascend ; 
the  other  white,  upon  which  the  holy  virgin  leaned,  the 
help  whereof,  such  as  used,  were  by  her  received  with 
cheerful  countenance,  and  so  with  felicity  ascended  into 
heaven."     The  purport  of  this  story  must  be  obvious  to 
every  reader,  it  is  nothing  less  than  that  the  help  of  the 
virgin  is  more  efficacious  and  sure,  than  the  help  of 
Christ.     Must  her  votaries  then  not  regard  her  as  divine  ? 
But  St.   Anselm,   and  after  him  other  popish  authors, 
directly  assert,  that  "  more  present  relief  is  sometimes 
foynd  by  commemorating  the  name  of  Mary,  than  by 
calling  on  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  her  only 
son?'     This  needs  no  comment.     "  If  popish  tales  are 
true,"  says  McCulloch,  "the  popish  church   is  under 
very  strong  obligations,  to  pay  all  this  homage,  and  a 
great  deal  more,  to  the  virgin.     There  is  scarcely  any 
favor  which  she  has  withheld  from  her  devout  worship- 
pers.    She  has  delivered  them  from  sickness,  restored 
their  eye  sight,  preserved  them  from  dangers,  saved  them 
from  the  gallows,  and  even  raised  them  from  the  dead, 
and  what   must  peculiarly  tend  to   the  consolation    of 
papists,  she  is  not  at  all  squeamish  in  the  choice  of  her 
votaries.     Sinners,    being    her   subjects,  make  up   her 
crown  and  glory."     "  Know  thou,"  said  the  virgin,  (if 
we  may  credit  papists,)  to  St.  Bridget,  "  my  dearest  child, 
that  there  is  no  man  in  the  world  so  lewd  or  accursed 
of  God,  that  he  is  entirely  forsaken  of  him  while  he 
lives,  no  sinner  so    desperate  but  he  may  return,  and 
find  mercy  with  him,  provided  he  has  recourse  to  me." 
This  benevolence  of  the  virgin  does  not  operate  to  de- 
liver men  from  their  sins,  but  from  the  deserved  punish- 
ment.    If  they  pray  to  the  virgin  at  last,  or  have,  amidst 
their  iniquities,  honored  her,  all  is  right  and  will  end  in 
peace.     A  certain  Gascon  soldier  is  said  by  papists,  to 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  247 

have  spent   his  fortune,  and  afterwards,  for  particular 
reasons,  to  have  sold  himself  to  the  devil,  and  renounced 
the  Saviour.     No  temptation,  however,  could  induce  him 
to  sacrifice  his  interest  with  the  virgin.     This  confidence 
in  her  protection  secured  him  from  his  old  acquaintance 
the  devil,  who  began  to  be  troublesome,  notwithstanding 
his  former  friendship.     On  prostrating  himself  before  an 
image  of  the  virgin  Mary  with  the  child  Jesus  in  her 
arms,  he  was  greatly  comforted  by  the  following  dialogue 
between  the  two  idols.     "-Virgin,  0,  my  sweet  son,  have 
mercy   on   this   man."     "  Christ.    Why,  mother,  what 
would  you  have  me  do  with  this  wretch,  who  has  re- 
nounced me  ?' '     The  virgin  then  prostrated  herself  before 
her  son  and  again  demanded   his  pardon.     This  was 
irresistible.     The  little  image  raised  the  large  one  from 
the  ground  and  replied,  "  I  never  yet  refused  my  mo- 
ther anything  she  asked,  I  grant  it  for  your  sake,  and 
for  yours  alone."     Should  any  sceptical  reader  inquire 
how  these  imaq-es  held  this  conversation,  or  how  the 
little  image  could  leap  from  the  arms  of  the  great  one 
and  raise  it  up  from  the  ground,  he  must  go  to  pa- 
pists for  an  answer,  remembering  that  this  is  the  least 
marvelous  part  of  the  story.     Again,  a  certain  wicked 
fellow  is  said  to  have  fallen  into  the  Danube,  and  re- 
mained under  water  three  days.     In  ordinary  cases  there 
would  have  been  some  danger  of  drowning.     But  to  the 
rogue's  great  surprise,  he  was  addressed  in  his  watery 
retreat  in  the  following  terms.     "  Thou  w^ell  deservest, 
base  rascal,  to  lose  thy  life,  and  be  condemned  forever 
for  thy  sins  ;  but  because  thou  art  a  servant  of  the  virgin 
Mary,  thou  shalt  be  delivered  from  this  danger,  that  thou 
mayest  go  and  be  confessed."     Up  he  came  accordingly, 
and  made  the  above  declaration  to  the  priest.    St.  Bridget 
is  said  to  have  had  a  son,  who  followed  the  profession  of 
a  soldier,  and  died  in  the  wars.     Hearing  the  news  of 
his  death,  she  was  much  concerned  for  the  salvation  of 
her  son,  who  had  died  in  so  dangerous  a  condition.     And 


248  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

as  she  was  often  favored  by  God  with  revelations,  of 
which  she  has  composed  a  book,  she  was  assured  of  the 
salvation  of  her  son  by  two  subsequent  revelations.  In 
the  first,  the  blessed  virgin  revealed  to  her  that  she  had 
assisted  her  son  with  a  particular  protection  at  the  hour 
of  death,  having  strengthened  him  against  temptations, 
and  obtained  all  necessary  grace  for  him  to  make  a  holy 
and  happy  end.  In  the  next,  she  declared  the  cause  of 
that  particular  assistance  she  gave  her  son,  and  said 
it  was  in  recompense  for  his  great  and  sincere  devotion 
which  he  had  rendered  to  her  during  his  life,  wherein 
he  had  loved  her  with  a  very  ardent  affection,  and  had 
endeavored  to  please  her  in  all  things.  Is  anything  less 
than  omniscience  implied  in  these  accounts  ?  Must  not 
the  virgin  Mary  see  and  know  the  hearts  and  thoughts 
of  all  that  worship  her  ?  Must  she  not  be  acquainted 
with  the  temptations  to  which  every  young  man  and 
woman  is  exposed,  that  she  may  provide  a  remedy? 
Such  knowledge  belongs  to  God  only.  And  to  ascribe 
these  attributes  to  creatures,  and  to  worship  them  for  the 
supposed  possession,  is  idolatry  beyond  controversy.  It 
wdll  be  said,  perhaps,  that  these  stories  are  all  fictions  and 
fables.  Be  it  so.  Still  they  show  the  practice  and  feel- 
ings of  papists,  and  the  practical  influence  and  tendency 
of  popery,  as  much  as  the  fables  of  paganism  illustrate 
its  qualities. 

Another  item  in  the  account  of  popish  idolatry  is  the 
worship  paid  to  St.  Ann,  the  mother,  or  supposed  mother, 
of  Mary,  This  personage  constitutes  the  second  god- 
dess in  the  papal  pantheon.  "  I  give,"  says  a  late  writer, 
"  the  following  extracts  from  an  abridgment  of  the  pre- 
rogatives of  St.  Ann,  mother  of  the  mother  of  God,  which 
has  the  approbation  of  the  popish  doctors  of  Paris.  If 
my  readers  should  feel  shocked  by  the  grossness  and  im- 
piety of  it,  I  can  truly  say  that  I  sympathize  with  them, 
and  that,  though  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  expose  the  abomina- 
ble wickedness  of  popery,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  making 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  249 

such  an  exposure  as  the  following : — '  She  (St.  Ann)  was 
the  mother  of  the  mother  of  God,  the  grandmother  of 
God  himself.  Figure  to  yourself,  chaste  spouse  of 
Christ,  a  royal  eagle  flies  from  mountain  to  mountain,  to 
choose  a  tree  which  may  serve  the  design,  to  feed  there, 
and  breed  her  young  ones.  Imagine,  now,  that  God  is  this 
eagle,  who,  running  over  with  his  eyes,  as  it  were,  so  many 
beautiful  trees,  all  the  women  who  were  to  be  found  from 
the  first  to  the  last,  perceived  not  any  one  so  worthy  to  re- 
ceive the  glorious  virgin,  who  was  to  be  the  little  germ  of 
the  heavenly  eaglet,  who  is  the  Word,  incarnate,  as  St. 
Ann,  in  whom  he  rested  himself  as  in  the  tree  of  paradise, 
which  he  knew  to  be  the  tallest  in  devotion,  the  deepest  in 
humility,  the  largest  in  charity,  and  of  the  most  pleasant 
odour  in  sanctity.  So  if,  in  one  word,  you  would  know 
the  price  of  that  crown  which  St.  Ann  bore  on  earth  and 
in  heaven,  it  must  be  said,  and  this  is  to  say  all,  that  her 
treasure  and  her  crown  was  the  giving  being  to  her,  who 
gave  it  to  God,  which  is  to  be  crowned  with  the  merits  of 
Mary,  like  the  tree  with  its  flowers  and  fruit.  Whence 
it  is  to  be  concluded  that  the  dignity,  the  grace,  and  the 
holiness,  of  this  only  and  perfect  daughter,  ought  to  re- 
flect back  on  her  mother,  even  to  a  point.  That  she  ren- 
dered her  incomparable  in  her  sanctity  as  she  was  in  her 
dignity.  For  of  two  things,  one  must  necessarily  hap- 
pen ;  either  that  this  holy  virgin  had  not  the  power,  or 
that,  having  the  power,  she  communicated  to  her  what- 
ever we  can  fancy,  greater  in  grace.  So  that  it  is  true 
in  some  sort,  and  good  divinity  to  say,  that  the  felicity  of 
the  saints  is  derived  from  Mary,  and  that  there  is  nobody 
who  is  not  obliged  to  her  for  the  fortification  of  his  pa- 
tience, for  the  victory  over  his  temptations,  for  preserva- 
tion from  falls,  for  augmentation  of  his  merits,  for  his 
final  grace,  and  finally  for  his  glory.  This  principle 
supposed,  who  will  doubt  that  St.  Ann  was  the  master- 
piece of  the  workmanship  of  Mary,  and  that  the  power 
of  this  last  was  the  measure  of  the  excellence  of  the 


250  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

former  ?     And  it  is  one  of  the  greatest  miracles  of  mys- 
teries of  our  religion,  that  the  children  give  life  to  their 
parents ;  and  those  who  are  not  yet,  give  admirable  ad- 
vantage to  those  that  already  are.     Thus  Jesus  is  the  son 
of  Adam  according  to  nature,  and  his  father  according 
to  grace.     Thus,  St.  Ann  is,  in  the  state  of  grace,  the 
daughter  of  her  daughter,  the  holy  virgin,  by  a  plenitude 
of  grace  which  she  from  her  received.     Which  ought 
not  to  be  thought  strange  by  him  who  has  tasted  the  sense 
and  universal  consent  of  ihe  fathers,  who  assert  that 
what  was  given  in  plenitude  to  Christ,  ought  in  propor- 
tion to  be  attributed  to  the  holy  virgin.     The  glory  of 
Jesus  Christ,  the  fourth  reason  of  the  prerogatives  of  St. 
Ann,  requires  that  St.  Ann  be  such  to  be  his  worthy 
grandmother.     St.  Ann  having  been  chosen  in  the  ideas 
of  eternal  predestination,  to  be  the  grandmother  of  Jesus 
Christ,  ought  not  this  step  to  comprehend  as  many  excel- 
lencies as  demonstrate  the  sublimeness  of  this  saint's  per- 
fection ?     There  need  be  used  only  the  dignity  of  her 
name  as  grandmother  of  Jesus  Christ.     This  is  an  argu- 
ment which  the  apostle  uses  to  prove  the  pre-eminence 
of  Jesus  Christ  above  the  angelic  natures,  for  that  he  was 
the  Son  of  God.     The  dignity,  therefore,  of  St.  Ann, 
consists  in  her  having,  by  the  conception  and  nativity  of 
the  virgin,  entered  into  the  economy  of  the  incarnation, 
and  into  the  state  of  the  hypostatical  union.     She  was  by 
this  her  daughter  exalted  into  so  dazzling  a  throne  of 
glory,  that  there  are  only  above  it,  the  trinity  of  uncreated 
persons,  the  humanity  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  holiness 
of  her  daughter,  mother  of  God.     In  our  indigencies 
and  our  wants,  we  must  address  ourselves  by  St.  Ann  to 
the  virgin,  and  by  tl^e  virgin  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  by  Je- 
sus Christ  to  God  the  Father,  who  can  refuse  nothing  to 
his  Son,  no  more  than  he  can  to  his  mother,  or  she  to 
her's,  who  is  St.  Ann.'  "     Thus  it  appears  that  this  St. 
Ann  is  a  kind  of  door-keeper  in  heaven ;  she  moves  the 
virgin,  and  the  virgin  moves  Christ,  and  Christ  moves 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  251 

God  ;  and  it  might  be  premised,  that  the  pope  moves  St. 
Ann,  and  money  moves  the  pope.  St.  Ann,  then,  is  the 
pj'imum  mobile  in  heaven,  money  and  the  pope  on  earth. 
The  other  characters  in  the  papal  catalogue  are  passive 
in  their  movements,  acting  under  the  influence  of  strong 
attachment  to  each  other,  rather  than  from  any  moral 
considerations.  St.  Ann  is,  then,  the  all  important  cha- 
racter and  advocate ;  if  you  gain  her,  you  gain  the  rest 
of  course.  The  whole  heathen  world  may  be  challenged 
to  produce  a  family  of  deities  more  perfectly  humanized 
than  this.  Though  the  sacred  names  of  God  and  of 
Christ  are  used  in  this  compound,  they  are  used  pro- 
fanely, and  associated  with  characters  and  actions  alto- 
gether derogatory  to  deity.  The  whole  is  therefore  a 
family  of  idols,  and  the  whole  papal  worship  is  idolatry. 
This  is  true  of  their  chief  gods  and  goddesses.  But  not 
contented  to  bring  the  mother  and  grandmother  of  Christ, 
after  the  flesh,  into  the  list  of  deities,  the  papists  have  a 
long  list  of  inferior  deities,  like  the  Lares  and  Penates  of 
the  ancient  pagan  Romans,  or  like  the  Tees,  Woden,  and 
Thar,  of  the  ancient  Britons.  To  these  lesser  gods  and 
goddesses  the  papists  pay  homage  and  worship,  which 
is  a  direct  and  palpable  violation  of  the  first  command, 
''  Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me."  The  de- 
tails of  this  idolatry  are  tedious  and  gross,  and  must  be 
disgusting  in  the  extreme.  A  summary  view,  however, 
is  necessary  to  place  the  subject  in  any  just  light.  Let 
the  reader,  then,  summon  his  patience  to  the  task  of  ex- 
ploring more  perfectly  the  interior  of  this  papal  pan- 
theon. And  here  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  say,  that 
"Worship  God"  is  the  distinguishing  principle  of  true 
religion  ;  and  that  every  practice  which  differs  from  this, 
or  gives  any  degree  of  worship  or  homage  to  creatures 
in  any  form  or  manner,  is  idolatry.  And  it  may  promote 
a  right  understanding  of  the  subject  here  to  remark,  that 
the  systems  of  pagan  idolatry  have  always  had  their 
retinue  of  inferior  deities  or  demigods.     These  have, 


252  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

in  the  original  Greek,  been  denominated  Daimones. 
This  class  of  deities  is  referred  to  in  the  New  Testament 
in  the  following  passages  : — 1.  Tim.  iv.  1,  "  Giving  heed 
to  seducing  spirits  and  doctrines  of  devils."  The  word 
here  translated  devils  is  daimones,  and  literally  means 
demons,  or  the  numerous  inferior  deities  of  the  heathen. 
True  devils  are  at  the  bottom  of  it,  as  they  are  of  all  false 
religion  ;  but  the  term  denotes  a  particular  form  of  idol 
worship.  The  same  word,  daimones,  is,  in  Acts  xvii.  18, 
rendered  gods :  "  Others  said  he  seemeth  to  be  a  setter 
forth  of  strange  gods ;"  literally,  demons,  because  he 
preached  to  them  Jesus  and  the  resurrection."  The  idea 
of  the  Athenians  evidently  was,  that  Paul,  by  preaching 
Jesus,  was  going  to  add  to  their  list  of  inferior  deities,  or 
that  he  set  forth  some  hero  as  worthy  of  divine  honors, 
whom  they  had  not  known.  This  class  of  demons  was 
composed  of  departed  heroes,  who  had  been  renowned  in 
their  day,  and  who,  when  dead,  were  supposed  to  exert  a 
kind  of  tutelar  care  over  certain  places,  persons,  and 
things.  Such  were  Hercules,  Esculapius,  and  many 
others.  This  feature  of  ancient  idolatry  appears  to  have 
suggested  to  the  papists  the  idea  of  deifying,  or  what  they 
call  canonizing,  certain  saints,  or  eminent  persons  in  the 
history  of  the  church,  and  giving  to  them  certain  honors 
and  homage  which  partake  of  idolatry.  In  fact,  as  will 
more  fully  appear  at  the  conclusion  of  our  present  exa- 
mination, popery,  in  this  respect,  is  nothing  more  or  less 
than  ancient  paganism  under  a  new  name'  and  in  a  nev,;' 
dress.  And  further,  it  will  be  seen,  that  when  prosperous 
days  visited  the  church,  and  she  began  to  taste  the  sweets 
of  earthly  things,  and  to  be  actuated  by  a  desire  to  extend 
her  limits  and  influence,  that  to  conciliate  and  allure  the 
heathen  around,  and  bring  them  within  her  pale,  she 
by  degrees  adopted  the  substance  and  spirit  of  paganism, 
retaining  only  her  own  forms  and  names.  A  great  and 
fatal  mistake  this,  of  which  all  reformers  and  missiona- 
ries ought  to  be  aware,  lest,  in  their  zeal  to  make  con- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  253 

verts,  they  convert  the  gospel  to  the  heathen  and  the  im- 
penitent, instead  of  converting  them  to  the  gospel.  Such 
has  been  the  error  of  popery ;  and  in  all  her  forms  and 
ceremonies,  she  is  only  a  great  shell  of  Christianity,  filled 
with  the  spirit  and  abominations  of  pagan  idolatry. 

The  first  fact  in  support  of  these  remarks  is,  that  the 
Rotunda  at  Rome,  now  devoted  to  the  virgin  Mary  and  all 
the  saints,  is  the  very  temple  which  was  anciently  dedi- 
cated by  Agrippa  to  Jove  and  all  the  gods.  For  this  rea- 
son it  was  called  the  Pantheon,  which  term  is  of  Greek 
derivation,  denoting  an  edifice  dedicated  to  all  the  gods, 
or  the  temple  of  all  the  gods.  It  is  the  most  distin- 
guished heathen  temple  now  remaining  in  the  world. 
"And,"  says  Middleton,  "  with  this  single  alteration,  (of 
occupants,)  it  serves  as  exactly  for  all  the  purposes  of  the 
popish,  as  it  did  for  the  pagan  worship,  for  which  it  was 
built.  For  as,  in  the  old  temple  every  one  might  find  the 
god  of  his  country,  and  address  himself  to  that  deity  to 
whose  religion  he  was  most  devoted,  so  is  it  now,  every 
one  chooses  the  patron  whom  he  likes  best ;  and  one  may 
see  here  different  services  going  on  at  the  same  time,  at 
different  altars,  with  distinct  congregations  around  them, 
just  as  the  inclinations  of  the  people  lead  them  to  wor- 
ship this  or  that  particular  saint.  And  what  better  title 
can  the  new  demi-gods  show  to  the  adoration  now  paid  to 
them,  than  the  old  ones,  whose  shrines  they  have  usurped  ? 
Or  how  comes  it  to  be  less  criminal  to  worship  images 
erected  by  the  pope,  than  those  which  Agrippa  or  Ne- 
buchadnezzar set  up  ?  If  there  be  any  real  difference, 
most  people,  I  dare  say,  will  be  apt  to  determine  in  favor 
of  the  old  possessors;  for  those  heroes  of  antiquity  were 
raised  up  into  gods,  and  received  divine  honors,  for  some 
signal  benefits  of  which  they  had  been  the  authors  to 
mankind ;  or  the  invention  of  arts  and  sciences ;  or  of 
something  highly  useful  and  necessary  to  life.  Whereas, 
of  the  popish  saints,  it  is  certain,  that  many  of  them  were 
never  heard  of  but  in  their  own  legends  and  fabulous 

22 


254  HISTORY    OF    POPERV* 

Stories  ;  and  many  more,  instead  of  any  service  done  to 
mankind,  owe  all  the  honors  now  paid  them  to  their  vices 
or  their  errors ;  whose  merit,  like  that  of  Demetrius  in 
the  Acts,  was  their  skill  of  raising  rebellions  in  defence 
of  an  idol,  and  throwing  kingdoms  into  convulsions  for 
the  sake  of  some  gainful  imposture.  And  as  it  is  in  the 
Pantheon,  it  is  just  the  same  in  all  the  other  heathen 
temples  that  still  remain  at  Rome.  They  have  only 
pulled  down  one  idol  to  set  up  another,  changing  rather 
the  name  than  the  object  of  their  worship.  Thus  the 
little  temple  of  Vesta,  near  the  Tiber,  mentioned  by  Ho- 
race, is  now  possessed  by  the  Madonna  of  the  Sun  ;  that 
of  Fortuna  Virilis,  by  Mary  the  Egyptian  ;  that  of  Sa- 
turn, where  the  public  treasure  was  anciently  kept,  by  St. 
Adrian  ;  that  of  Romulus  and  Remus,  in  the  "  via  sacra,^^ 
by  two  other  brothers,  Cosmus  and  Damianus ;  that  of 
Antonine,  the  godly,  by  Laurence,  the  saint.  But  for  my 
part,  I  had  sooner  be  tempted  to  prostrate  myself  before 
the  statue  of  a  Romulus  or  an  Antonine,  than  that  of  a 
Laurence  or  a  Damian  ;  and  give  divine  honors  rather 
with  pagan  Rome  to  the  founders  of  empires,  than  with 
popish  Rome,  to  the  founders  of  monasteries."  With 
this  general  view  of  the  popish  worship  of  demons,  and 
its  exact  correspondence  with  that  of  ancient  paganism, 
it  is  proper  to  give  some  more  particular  description,  that 
the  subject  may  be  understood  somewhat  in  detail,  as 
without  such  a  particular  account,  very  little  indeed  will 
be  known.  For  this  purpose,  as  limits  will  not  allow 
a  particular  account  of  all,  or  a  considerable  number  of 
popish  saints,  it  will  be  proper  to  give  the  history  of  one 
or  two  individuals  as  samples  of  the, rest. 

The  following  is  an  abridged  account  of  St.  Wenefride, 
the  tutelar  deity  of  Wales.  This  example  is  selected, 
because  the  history  of  this  popish  heroine  has  been  lately 
published  by  a  popish  author,  and  is  therefore  an  exam- 
ple more  fresh  from  the  mint  of  popery.  The  work  al- 
luded to  is  entitled,  "  The  Life  and  Miracles  of  St.  We- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  255 

nefride,  virgin,  martyr,  aYid  abbess,  patroness  of  Wales, 
to  which  are  added  the  litanies  of  the  holy  saint.  Printed 
by  W.  E.  Andrews,  1817."  This  history  is  indeed  very 
ridiculous,  and  brings  to  view  one  of  those  idle,  worth- 
less, and  useless  beings,  called  holy  virgins  by  the  pa- 
pists, who  effect  nothing  for  their  own  age  or  subsequent 
ages,  worthy  of  imitation  or  praise.  If  such  a  person 
ever  existed,  she  has  been  nothing  but  a  nuisance  to  the 
world,  by  the  great  expense  of  time  and  property  which 
her  worship  occasions,  and  for  which  the  world  receives 
no  equivalent.  But,  if  we  would  form  any  correct  idea  of 
popery,  and  of  its  fruits  in  the  practice  of  all  who  come 
under  its  influence,  Ave  must  hear  the  story  gravely  pub- 
lished by  a  recent  papal  advocate,  puerile  and  absurd  as  it  is. 
''  In  the  seventh  age  of  man's  redemption  flourished 
many  saints  of  both  sexes.  Among  these  was  St.  Beuno, 
the  glorious  instrument  of  St.  Wenefride's  second  life  and 
sanctity.  He  was  born  of  noble  parents  in  Montgomery- 
shire. This  zealous  monk,  St.  Beuno,  having  finished 
his  monastery  at  Clynoc  Vaws,  in  Carnarvonshire,  found 
himself  powerfully  inspired  to  visit  his  relations  in  Flint- 
shire. It  is  true  ^;hat  he  had  long  before  bid  adieu  to  all 
the  ties  of  flesh  and  blood,  but  he  understood  this  call  as 
a  voice  from  heaven.  A  rich  and  potent  lord  in  that  part 
of  North  Wales  where  Holywell  now  is,  had  married 
the  virtuous  and  noble  lady  Wenlo,  sister  to  St.  Beuno. 
His  name  was  The  with.  These  parents  of  St.  Wene- 
fride,  by  an  exemplary  and  truly  Christian  life,  surpassed 
their  high  extraction.  St.  Wenefride,  the  glory  of  West 
Britain,  was  born  in  the  troublesome  reign  of  king  Cad- 
wallawn.  And  St.  Beuno  made  his  visit  to  his  brother- 
in-law's  house  in  the  reign  of  king  Elwith  the  second. 
The  venerable  monk,  having  much  humility  and  great 
modesty,  made  himself  known,  told  them  he  was  sent  by 
Almighty  God,  to  honor  him  there,  as  he  had  done  in 
other  places ;  and  that  he  neither  expected  nor  craved 
any  other  favor  than  a  small  parcel  of  his  large  territo* 


256     •  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

ries,  sufficient  to  build  a  church  on  ;  *  where  others  with 
myself,'  said  he,  '  will  daily  pray  for  your  safety  and 
happiness.'  Thewith  was  not  in  the  miserable  catalogue 
of  those  thoughtless,  blind  worldlings,  who  are  prodigal 
in  vanity  and  ostentation,  but  start  and  frown  at  the  first 
proposal  of  parting  with  small  matters  for  the  advantage 
of  their  souls.  In  short,  he  received  the  proposal  with 
gratitude,  and  immediately  conveyed  to  the  holy  father 
the  manor  in  which  he  then  lived.  And  he  asked  in  re- 
turn but  one  favor,  which  was,  that  his  only  child,  a  ten- 
der virgin,  his  special  comfort,  might  be  instructed  by  the 
monk  in  heavenly  documents,  that  her  life  and  conversa- 
tion might  be  holy,  pleasing  to  God,  and  joyful  to  her 
parents.  The  nobleman,  after  this  gift,  retired  to  another 
seat,  which  overlooked  the  holy  church,  where  the  ser- 
vants of  God  praised  their  Maker. 

"  As  to  St.  Wenefride,  it  was  the  intention  of  her  pa- 
rents to  marry  her  to  some  nobleman  of  the  country,  and 
bestow  on  her  a  most  plentiful  fortune ;  but,  hy  St.  Beu- 
no's  frequent  discourses,  she  understood  how  great,  how 
good,  and  how  glorious,  the  heavenly  Spouse  was ;  that 
voluntary  virgins  are  like  angels  upon  earth ;  that  they 
follow  the  Lamb  wherever  he  goeth.  She  understood 
that  the  honors  of  the  world,  and  its  pltiasures,  are  short- 
lived, so  that  the  very  thought  of  an  earthly  husband  be- 
came hateful  unto  her.  Wherefore  she  resolved  to  keep 
herself  undefiled,  and  to  consecrate  her  pure  virginity  to 
the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth.  One  main  difficulty, 
however,  was  to  render  her  parents  favorable  to  this  hea- 
venly call.  St.  Beuno,  she  knew,  was  honored  by  them 
as  a  saint,  and  therefore  that  he  had  great  power  and  au- 
thority with  them.  To  him,  therefore,  she  resolved  to 
communicate  her  resolution,  and  to  solicit  his  agency  in 
bringing  the  subject  before  her  parents.  Finding  him 
alone  one  day,  and  at  liberty,  she  acquainted  him  with  the 
holy  fruits  of  his  moving  discourses ;  and  after  a  very 
pathetic  manner,  humbly  petitioned  for  his  zealous  con* 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  257 

currence  in  preserving  the  rich  treasure  of  her  virginity, 
which  she  had  resolved  never  to  part  vsrith  for  all  the 
offers  the  flattering  world  could  make  her.  The  saint 
was  most  agreeably  surprised  at  this  most  welcome  news, 
and  he  undertook  the  work  of  mediation  with  the  pa- 
rents. No  sooner  had  St.  Beuno  delivered  his  message, 
and  explained  the  nature  of  the  offering,  that  it  would  be 
a  sort  of  holocaust,  to  sacrifice  their  affections,  and  be- 
queath to  their  God  the  dearest  creature  in  the  world, 
than,  contrary  to  the  weakness  of  other  parents,  tears  of 
joy  came  trickling  down  Lord  Thewith's  cheeks,  who, 
with  his  spouse,  broke  out  in  the  praises  of  Jesus  Christ 
for  so  highly  favoring  their  only  child.  They  then  called 
for  their  daughter,  and  gave  her  full  and  free  leave  to  for- 
sake the  world,  wishing  her  a  happy  progress  in  the  way 
of  perfection.  They  likewise  declared  that  as  the  hea- 
venly Spouse  had  m.ade  choice  of  her,  they  intended  to 
make  him  heir  of  what  they  designed  for  her  dowery,  by 
disposing  of  the  same  to  his  great  honor,  in  pious  and 
religious  uses.  The  pious  virgin  receiving  the  co vetted 
grant,  concluded  that  she  could  never  return  sufficient 
thanks  to  God  for  the  favor. 

"  The  virtue  of  this  holy  virgin  was  however  assaulted 
by  a  cruel  Welch  prince  named  Cradocus,  who  fcund 
her  at  home  and  alone,  one  day,  while  the  rest  of  the 
family  were  at  church.     The  holy  virgin  by  a  faise  pre- 
text escaped,  and  made  the  best  of  her  way  to  ttd  church. 
But  Cradocus  overtaking  her,  and  being  scorned,  as  he 
thought,  gave  such  a  deadly  blow  with  his  sword  to  her 
neck,  that   the  first  stjroke  severed  the  Aead  from  the 
body.     The  head  falling  on  the  decent  cf  the  hill,  rolled 
down  to  the  church,  where  the  congregation  were  kneel- 
ing before  the  altar.    As  they  were  terrified  at  the  bloody 
object  of  her  head,  so  they  were  astonished  to  behold  a 
clear  and  rapid  spring,  gushing  out  of  the  spot  of  ground 
her  head  had  first  fallen  upon,  which  to  this  very  day  is 
visited  from  all  parts,  by  devout  pilgrims.     The  place  of 

22* 


358-  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

her  martyrdom  had  before  her  death,  the  name  of  dry- 
valley,  or  barren  bottom,  which  was  changed  into  the 
title  of  Finhon,  which  in  old  Welch  signifies  a  fountain 
or  well.  It  was  also  observed  that  ihe  stones  of  the  well 
were  tinctured  with  drops,  as  it  were  of  blood,  to  perpe- 
tuate the  memory  of  what  she  had  shed  for  the  love  of 
Christ,  and  in  process  of  time  it  was  taken  notice  of,  that 
the  moss  about  the  well  had  a  very  fragrant  smell,  as  an 
emblem  of  the  odour  of  her  angelic  virtues. 

"  To  close  the  last  act  of  this  inhuman  tragedy  and  to 
relate  the  dreadful  stroke  of  divine  justice  on  the  cruel 
tyrant,  we  are  to  premise   with   brevity,  that  the  first 
grief  of  the  holy  virgin's  parents,  is  not  to*  be  expressed, 
seeing  their  dear  child  so  villanously  butchered  almost 
before  their  eyes.     St.  Beuno's  virtue  was  also  put  to 
the  test,  to  bear  the  loss  of  so  devout  a  creature.     Tears 
came  trickly  down  his  cheeks  at  the  sight  of  the  horrid 
murder.     The  afflicted  people  with  united  voices  called 
upon  heaven  for  speedy  execution  against  him  who  had 
committed  that  heinous  outrage.     Indignation  accompa- 
nied compassion,  when  they  beheld  the  unrelenting  as- 
sassin wiping  his  bloody  sword  upon  the  grass,  and  glory- 
ing in  the   detestable  deed,  without  any  fear  of  God  or 
man.     St.  Beuno  was  preparing  to  offer  up  the  unbloody 
sacriftce  of  our  redemption,  but  being  inspired  by  him, 
who  dedares  vengeance  belongeth  to  me,  I  will  repay, 
he  left  the  altar,  and  taking  the  blessed  martyr's  head  in 
his  trembling  hands,  he  mounted  the  ascent  towards  Cra- 
docus.     He  f*5ared  not  such  a  blow  as  was  given  to  the 
tender  virgin.    On  the  same  account,  for  the  love  of 
Christ,  he  would  have  bid  it  welcome.      Faithful  ser- 
vants of  God  dread  nothing,  sin  only  excepted.     Being 
come  up  to  him  he  said, '  thou  wicked  man  !  who,  without 
any  regard  to  innocence  or  beauty,  hast  massacred   a 
princely  virgin,  no  less  nobly  born  than  thyself.     Nor 
dost  thou  repent,  or  seem  sorry,  as  thou  oughtest  to  do 
for  this  horrid  sacrilege.     I  here  beseech  my  heavenly 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  259 

Lord,  that  for  an  example  to  others,  he  will  be  pleased  to 
execute  his  divine  judgment  against  thee,  who  hast  mur- 
der^ed  his  spouse,  troubled  his  people,  violated  his  sab- 
bath, and  besprinkled  this  holy  house  with  blood,  which 
I  consecrated  to  his  service.'  As  the  earth  swallowed  up 
rebellious  and  perverse  Korah,  so  some  affirm,  that  at 
Beuno's  last  words,  Cradocus  not  only  dropped  down 
dead,  but  also  that  the  earth  opened  to  give  passage  to 
the  luxurious  body  to-  sink  towards  his  monstrous  soul ; 
or  that  the  master  whom  he  had  served,  the  devil,  carried 
it  off,  for  it  is  certain,  that  the  carcass  of  the  cruel  mur- 
derer never  afterward  appeared.  The  faithful  glorified 
God  in  his  justice,  but  could  not  curb  their  grief.  St. 
Beuno  earnestly  exhorted  the  parents  and  people  to  turn 
from  lamentations,  and  to  address  the  Creator  of  souls, 
and  raiser  up  of  dead  bodies,  that  as  he  commanded 
Lazarus  back  to  life,  so  to  his  great  honor  and  glory,  and 
for  the  comfort  of  the  sorrowful  parents,  who  had  so  ge- 
nerously dedicated,  this  darling  child  to  his  service,  he 
would  graciously  vouchsafe  to  restore  her  to  life.  He  then 
joined  the  sacred  head  to  the  pale  body,  covering  both 
with  his  cloak,  after  which  he  offered  up  the  holy  sacri- 
fice of  our  redemption,  (i.  e.  the  mass.)  After  mass  was 
ended,  he  lifted  up  his  hands  to  heaven,  and  made  the 
following  prayer. 

"  '  O  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  for  whose  sake  this  holy  virgin 
contemned  the  world,  and  languished  after  thee,  by  the 
tender  bowels  of  thy  mercy,  love  and  bounty,, be  graci- 
ously pleased  to  grant  us  the  effect  of  our  vows  and 
prayers,  humbly  offered  unto  thee.  We  are  fully  persua- 
ded, that  this  godly  virgin,  who  lived'holily  and  died  for 
thee  with  great  constancy,  is  now  highly  exahed,  and 
wants  no  more  the  society  of  us  mortal  and  miserable 
creatures.  Yet  to  manifest  thine  omnipotence  and  su- 
preme dominion,  which  thou  has  over  our  souls  and 
bodies,  which  are  never  dead  to  thy  power  of  reuniting 
them,  as  also  to  multiply  the  merits  of  that  body  which 


260  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

lies  here  before  us,  we  crave  a  second  life  for  her,  to  the 
end,  that  after  a  long  and  plentiful  harvest,  laden  and  en- 
riched with  new  merits,  she  may  return  unto  thee  her 
eternal  spouse,  and  the  beloved  of  her  heart,  who 
with  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  rulest  on 
earth,  and  reig-nest  in  heaven,  for  ever  and  evej.'  The 
pious  people  drowned  in  tears,  and  having  with  sighs 
and  moving  sobs,  answered  devoutly,  amen — the  virgin 
arose  as  newly  awaked  from  sleep*  She  wiped  her  eyes 
and  face  to  clear  away  that  glorious  dust  which  had 
settled  on  her  lovely  head  when  it  tumbled  towards  her 
dear  St.  Beuno.  When  her  parents  and  others  fixed 
their  eyes  upon  her  neck,  they  observed  a  pure  white 
circle,  no  larger  than  a  small  thread  quite  round  it,  de- 
noting the  place  where  the  separation  had  been  made, 
which  always  afterward  remained.  From  this,  the 
great  veneration  of  the  people  for  her,  changed  her  name, 
which  was  Brewa,  into  that  of  Wenefride,  (i.  e.  white 
circle.)  In  the  many  apparitions  after  her  second  death, 
when  she  shewed  herself  to  her  devout  clients,  they  al- 
ways took  special  notice  of  the  aforesaid  white  circle, 
which  intimated  to  them  the  indelible  mark  of  her 
spouse's  affection,  for  suffering  that  mortal  wound  so 
courageously  for  his  sake."  It  may  here  be  inquired  in 
view  of  the  popish  tale,  whether  any  thing  surpassing  it 
in  superstitious  fable  can  be  found  among  all  the  marvel- 
lous stories  of  paganism.  Take  the  labors  of  Hercules 
among  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  or  the  abduction  of  Pro- 
serpine, or  a  thousand  other  silly  conceits  of  heathen 
nations,  such  as  the  incarnations  of  the  gods  of  the  Hin- 
doos, and  the  various  adventures  of  their  divine  heroes 
or  heroines,  and  do  they  not  compare  exactly  in  spirit,  and 
tendency,  and  authenticity  with  this  history  of  St.  Wene- 
fride. And  yet  the  papists  stoutly  contend  that  this 
saint  did  work  miracles,  and  was  deserving  of  religious 
homage.  The  account  above  given  is  followed  by  some, 
as  they  are  called,  pious  reflections  which  still  more  ex- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 


261 


hibit  the  spirit  of  the  system.  They  are  as  follows. 
"  Whatever  this  incredulous  age  may  think  of  this  great 
miracle  of  our  saint's  return  to  life,  it  appeared  so  evident 
to  the  West  Britons,  and  redounded  so  much  to  the  honor 
of  God's  church,  St.  Beuno's  sanctity,  and  the  power  he 
had  with  his  creator,  that  many  pagan  people  remaining 
in  those  parts,  came  to  hear  the  holy  man's  instructions  in 
the  catholic  .faith,  and  to  receive  baptism."  There  sure- 
ly was  no  wonder  in  this,  for  pagan  people  would  of  all 
others  be  most  likely  to  be  attracted  by  such  devices,  so 
exactly  similar  to  their  own.  But  continue  the  pious  re- 
flections. "  Saint  Wenefride  according  to  her  former 
practice,  like  Mary  at  the  feet  of  Christ,  sat  on  a  low  seat 
before  him,  (St.  Beuno.)  She  was  never  satisfied  with 
the  heavenly  manna  which  fell  from  his  angelic  tongue. 
She  counted  as  nothing  what  she  had  already  done  or 
suffered,  and  restless  to  be  more  strictly  united  to  her  be- 
loved spouse  she  aspired  to  the  height  of  perfection. 
Wherefore  she  most  humbly  begged  uppn  her  knees  to 
be  solemnly  veiled,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  primi- 
tive ages,  that  by  entering  into  a  religious  course  of  life, 
she  might  put  hell  to  great  confusion,  which  had  fiercely 
attempted  to  dishonor  God  and  herself;  but  mostly  that 
she  might  pour  forth  her  soul  in  the  presence  of  her 
eternal  spouse,  with  a  flaming  and  disengaged  heart,  en- 
tirely his,  and  say,  '  Behold  I  have  left  all  things  and 
have  followed  thee.'  St.  Beuno,  with  tears  of  joy  com- 
plied with  this  religious  request  and  performed  the  cere- 
mony in  a  numerous  assembly.  He  knew  to  what  a 
degree  of  sanctity  the  spirit  of  God  would  raise  her,  for 
his  own  glory  and  the  improvement  of  others,  therefore 
he  spent  whole  days  in  cultivating  her  soul  in  what  re- 
garded a  religious  state.  She  as  an  apt  scholar,  took  in 
so  fast  the  frequent  lessons,  and  put  them  in  practice  so 
punctually,  that  it  struck  her  master  into  admiration. 
He,  finding  her  so  far  advanced  in  an  interior  life,  that 
she  was  even  able  to  direct  and  govern  others  in  the  way 


262  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

of  perfection,  one  day  called  her  parents,  and  after  the 
following  manner  delivered  unto  them  his  sentiments 
and  resolutions." 

What  follows  is  a  high  commendation  for  their  distin- 
guished liberality,  and  an  announcement  of  his  determin- 
ation to  go  to  another  place.  "  This  intelligence  greatly 
affected  the  saint  Wenefride.  And  to  comfort  her  in 
such  deep  affliction,  St.  Beuno  took  her  by  the  hand,  and 
led  her  to  the  crystalline  fountain,  the  place  of  her  mar- 
tyrdom, where  they,  sitting  together  on  a  stone,  bearing  to 
this  day  the  name  of  St.  Beuno's  stone,  which  lieth  now  in 
the  outward  well,  you  see,  said  he,  the  monument  here  of 
your  sufferings.  Behold  also  the  stones,  as  tinctured  with 
your  blood,  which  was  shed  for  the  glory  of  your  heavenly 
spouse.  Be  you,  therefore,  attentive  and  mindful  of  what 
I  do  foretell  you  concerning  three  special  favors,  whereby 
your  glorious  spouse,  Jesus  Christ,  will  hereafter  honor 
yanrsplf,  and,  by  your  prayers,  benefit  others.  The  first 
is,  that  these  bloody  spots  shall  never  be  washed  off  from 
the  said  stones,  but  ever  remain,  as  triumphant  signs  of 
your  blood  spilt  in  defence  of  your  chastity.  The  second 
is,  that  any  person  who  shall  devoutly  ask  temporal 
blessings,  or  freedom  from  spiritual  or  corporeal  distress, 
to  be  obtained  by  your  merits  and  intercession,  the  same 
shall  compass  his  request,  if  it  be  to  the -honor  and  glory 
of  God,  by  paying  iheir  devotions  three  times  at  this 
well.  If  what  he  petitions  be  not  for  the  advantage  of  his 
soul,  and  therefore  is  not  granted,  at  his  death,  by  your 
prayers,  he  shall  reap  more  ample  fruit,  and  in  the  next 
world  everlasting  blessings.  The  third,  that  after  my 
departure  into  a  more  remote  part  of  this  island,  God  will 
give  me  a  cell  near  unto  the  sea  shore,  so  that  whenever 
you  send  any  letters  or  tokens  to  me,  as  I  entreat  you  to 
do  at  least  once  a  year,  only  cast  them  into  the  stream  of 
this  fountain,  and  they  will  come  safe  unto  me  ;  which 
wonders  will  be  gloriously  divulged  of  you  to  the  end  of 
the  world.     He  then  conducted  her  back  to  the  church, 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  263 

where  he  added :  Behold  this  church  and  buildings  round 
it,  which  have  been  raised  by  the  munificence  of  your 
parents,  these  I  leave  unto  you  to  be  converted  into  a  mo- 
nastery of  chaste  and  holy  virgins,  who,  moved  by  your 
pious  instructions  and  exemplary  life,  may  put  in  prac- 
tice those  divine  lessons,  which  I  have  often  delivered  unto 
you  ;  that  is,  the  contempt  of  the  world,  and  an  entire  ab- 
negation of  themselves,  which  are  the  foundation  of  reli- 
gious perfection.  Strive,  therefore,  dear  child,  in  all 
things  to  exhibit  yourself  as  a  lively  pattern  of  virtue. 
As  to  my  poor  self,  I  will  go  whither  the  Spirit  of  God 
shall  direct  me,  and  shall  ever  retain  in  my  heart  and 
soul  a  most  fatherly  and  loving  memory  of  you." 

In  the  foregoing  account  we  see  that  petitions  and  wor- 
ship were  to  be  offered  at  the  holy  well,  called  by  the 
name  of  this  saint  Wenefride,  and  that  petitioners  were  to 
expect  an  answer.  And  if  their  petitions' were  not  im- 
mediately answered,  they  were  to  rest  assured  that  the 
real  interests  of  her  votaries  would  be  promoted,  and  that 
they  would  certainly  obtain  eternal  blessings.  What  more 
can  be  said  of  Deity?  Is  not  this  paying  divine  honor 
to  a  creature,  and  can  any  man  look  at  this  example  and 
say  that  popery  is  not  chargeable  with  rank  idolatry,  in 
having  other  gods,  before  or  in  the  presence  of  the  true 
God,  as  his  rivals  in  the  affections  and  services  of  men  ? 
Miraculous  powers  were  also  ascribed  to  this  saint. 
Diseased  persons,  in  great  numbers  flocked  to  her  for 
miraculous  cures.  And  by  such  cures,  it  is  said,  "  the 
spreading  fame  of  St.  Wenefride  was  wonderfully  dila- 
ted." They  are  declared  to  have  been  frequent,  and 
divulged  through  all  parts  of  Wales. 

Enough,  in  all  conscience,  probably  the  reader  will 
say,  of  this  silly  story  about  saint  Wenefride.  But  the 
object  of  this  history,  be  it  remembered,  is  not  so  much 
to  gratify  the  reader,  as  to  present  a  faithful  picture  of 
popery.  And  as  the  story  of  this  saint  is  taken  as  a  sam- 
ple ;  and  as  the  particulars  of  no  other  of  the  many  idols 


264  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

of  popery,  all  equally  silly  and  disgusting,  will  be  given, 
the  patience  of  the  reader  is  entreated,  while,  in  a  few 
paragraphs  more,  the  legend  of  this  Welsh  idol  is  ren- 
dered complete. 

St.  Beuno  and  St.  Wenefride,  as  has  been  stated,  be- 
fore their  separation,  agreed  on  a  novel  method  of  cor- 
respondence. Any  article  or  communication  from  the 
latter  to  the  former,  need  only  to  be  deposited  in  the  holy 
well,  and  it  would  be  wafted  directly,  free  of  freight  or 
postage,  to  the  vicinity  of  St.  Beuno's  residence,  which 
was  far  off  on  the  seashore. 

Si.  Wenefride  was  not  tardy  in  putting  the  matter  to 
the  test  of  experiment.  Impelled  by  a  grateful  sense  of 
his  goodness,  who,  by  his  prayers,  had  obtained  for  her 
a  second  life,  and  whom  she  honored  as  an  eminent  ser- 
vant of  God,  and  as  her  own  spiritual  father  and  master, 
she  wished  to  make  some  small  return  in  token  of  her 
remembrance  and  gratitude.  About  a  year  after  his  de- 
parture, therefore,  with  the  help  of  her  religious  sisters, 
she  finished  a  curiously  embroidered  vestment,  and  wrap- 
ping the  same  in  a  woollen  cloth,  she  went  down  with 
her  religious  sisters  and  others  to  the  well  side,  and  cast- 
ing the  bundle  into  the  water,  said,  "  Holy  father,  accor- 
ding to  your  command  and  my  promise,  I  send  you  this 
Small  token  of  my  love."  To  the  great  astonishment  of 
numerous  beholders,  the  bundle  passed  down  the  stream 
into  the  river,  then  into  the  sea,  and  finally  landed  near 
the  monastery  where  saint  Beuno  dwelt,  many  miles 
distant  from  the  holy  fountain. 

The  holy  man,  St.  Beuno,  walking  on  the  seashore, 
discovered  the  bundle,  and  Avondered  what  it  should  be. 
But,  opening  the  package,  he  remembered  the  charge 
which  he  had  given  to  St.  Wenefride.  The  bundle,  as 
appeared  on  examination,  as  he  had  predicted,  came  to 
him  without  any  wet  or  moisture.  This  vestment  he  pre- 
served with  .great  care  in  the  church  for  the  celebration 
of  holy  mass.     He  likewise  received,  according  to  popish 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  265 

lurration,  ^*  fresher  lights  of  her  present  and  future  sanc- 
tity ;  how  much  Almighty  God  would  be  honored  by 
her,  not  only  at  Finhon,  but  in  other  places  whither  di- 
vine providence  should  direct  her  to  go.  The  virgin 
never  intermitted  to  send  him  a  yearly  present,  till  his 
most  happy  death,  which  was  revealed  unto  her,  and  the 
glorious  reward  he  was  crowned  with  in  heaven."  The 
memory  of  this  event  is  authenticated,  in  popish  estima- 
tion, in  the  following  manner.  In  Carnarvonshire,  eight 
miles  distant  from  the  city  of  Carnarvon,  there  is  a  little 
creek,  running  up  from  the  sea,  called  Porthy  Casseg, 
which  is  a  corruption  of  Porthy  Cassul,  which  means 
the  port  of  the  vestment.  Here  it  is  supposed  that  the 
first  package  of  St.  Wenefride  landed,  after  its  miracu- 
lous passage,  and  gave  a  name  to  the  little  port,  which  it 
retains  to  this  day.  This  the  papists  consider  as  ample 
evidence  of  the  fact  related  in  the  story.  Near  this 
creek,  it  is  said,  was  a  large  parish  church,  called  Clyn- 
nog,  in  which  St.  Beuno  was  buried,  his  last  founded 
monastery  being  there.  His  tomb,  say  popish  writers,  is 
still  extant,  and  held  in  great  veneration  by  the  inhabi- 
tants. On  the  windows  of  this  church,  the  history  of  St. 
Wenefride  is  said  to  be  curiously  wrought  by  paintings, 
though  now  so  defaced  as  to  be  scarcely  perceptible. 
The  whole  of  this  wonderful  history,  however,  is  based 
on  tradition.  And  as  this,  in  papal  estimation,  is  the 
unwritten  word  of  God,  a  late  popish  writer  thus  con- 
cludes. "  Let  it  be  lawful  for  me  to  say,  that  as  to  hu- 
man faith,  uninterrupted  tradition,  from  father  to  son,  for 
so  many  centuries,  is  a  clearer  attestation  of  fact,  than  if  it 
had  been  recorded  in  written  history."  Thus  the  whole 
is  proved,  and  thus  anything  can  be  proved  by  tradition. 
Here  we  have  a  specimen  of  the  common  herd  of  popish 
idols  or  demons.  These  ordinary  demons  cannot,  like 
the  virgin  Mary,  do  every  thing,  and  be  in  all  places  at 
the  same  time  ;  therefore,  the  popish  church  has  found  it 
necessary,  for  convenience  sake,  to  make  a  distribution 

23 


366^  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

and  division  of  labor  among  the  demons  which  she  wor- 
ships, just  as  a  master-workman  distributes  his  laborers. 
Thus,  St.  James  has  the  care  of  Spain,  St.  Sebastian  of 
Portugal,  St.  Denis  of  France,  St.  Mark  of  Venice,  St. 
Nicholas  of  Muscovy,  St.  Barbara  of  Germany.  Before 
the  reformation,  St.  George  had  charge  of  England,  St. 
Andrew  of  Scotland,  and  St.  Patrick  of  Ireland.  But 
the  papists  not  only  divide  their  demons  in  reference  to 
different  countries,  over  which  they  are  said  to  preside, 
but  also  in  reference  to  different  employments.  Thus, 
St.  Nicholas  and  St.  Christopher  have  the  care  of  sea- 
men ;  St.  Catherine  presides  over  students ;  St  Austin 
takes  charge  of  theologians,  St.  Luke  of  painters,  St.  Ivo 
of  the  lawyers,  St.  Eustachius  of  hunters,  St.  Crispin  of 
shoemakers  ;  St.  Magdalene  and  St.  Afra  have  charge  of 
vicious  women.  Some  of  these  worshipful  demons  are 
put  to  the  most  servile  employments,  and  are  mere  drudges 
in  the  business  of  popish  deities  :  St.  Anthony,  for  exam- 
ple, has  charge  of  swine,  and  is  thus  a  standing  hog-hay- 
ward  ;  St.  Pelagius  has  the  care  of  the  cows,  St.  Eulo- 
gius  of  horses ;  St.  Vendeline  and  St.  Gallus  have  the 
care  of  the  sheep  and  geese.  Thus  also  papists  direct 
their  votaries  to  pray  to  St.  Peter  for  the  gift  of  submis- 
sion, to  St.  Agnes  for  continency,  to  lady  St.  Ann  for 
wealth,  to  St.  Margaret  for  child-bearing,  to  St.  Rochus 
for  protection  against  the  plague,  to  St.  Petronilla  against 
the  ague,  to  St.  ApoUonia  against  the  toothache.  Bache- 
lors must  not  go  to  St.  Peter,  for  he  was  a  married  man  ; 
nor  married  men  to  St.  John,  because  he  was  a  bachelor. 
Every  one  must  apply  to  a  saint  in  his  own  profession  ; 
just  as  you  would  go  to  a  tailor  for  a  garment,  or  a 
blacksmith  to  shoe  your  horse.  This  is  what  the  papists 
call  a  discreet  variety  in  her  worship,  honorable  to  the 
church,  and  advantageous  to  her  poor  members.  The 
advantage  of  this  arrangement,  however,  it  is  presumed, 
falls  to  the  lot  of  the  priests,  whose  business  and  emolu- 
ment is  increased  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  deities. 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  267 

But  who  can  fail  to  discover  in  this  an  exact  copy  of  the 
ancient  heathen  demonology  ?  The  heathen  of  Greece, 
Rome,  and  Britain,  had  their  tutelar  deities,  presiding 
over  different  countries  and  places,  and  patronising  diffe- 
rent employments.  They  had  also  their  days  devoted  to 
their  several  deities,  and  called  by  their  names.  Of  this 
the  present  names  of  the  days  of  the  week  are  a  remarka- 
ble example,  viz.  :  Sunday,  the  day  of  the  Sun  ;  Monday, 
the  day  of  the  Moon  ;  Tuesday,  the  day  of  Tues  ;  Wed- 
nesday, the  day  of  Woden  ;  Thursday,  the  day  of  Thor  ; 
Friday,  the  day  of  Fries  ;  Saturday,  the  day  of  Saturn. 
The  heathen  had  also  their  seasons  of  the  year,  or  annual 
festivals,  in  honor  of  their  deities  ;  for  which  reason, 
those  seasons  or  days  were  named  after  the  demon  wor- 
shipped :  thus,  the  day  called  Easter  was  a  day  devoted 
to  the  worship  of  a  Saxon  demon,  named  Estern,  or  Oes- 
tern.  This  festival  was  observed  early  in  the  Spring, 
and,  in  accommodation  to  nominal  converts  from  the 
heathen,  the  papists  named  their  festival  of  the  resurrec- 
tion of  Christ  Easter.  This  term  has  very  improperly 
found  its  way  into  our  translation  of  the  bible,  in  Acts 
xii.  4.  The  original  word  in  this  passage  is  passover ; 
and  this  error  in  translating  serves  to  show  the  over- 
whelming influence  of  popish  habit,  even  upon  those  who 
have  thrown  off  the  papal  yoke.  But,  in  accordance 
with  the  above  mentioned  practices  of  heathenism,  we 
find  that  papists  have  their  days  devoted  to  particular 
demons,  called  by  Christian  names.  Of  this  our  com- 
mon calendars  and  almanacs  will  afford  evidence  ;  for, 
though  printed  in  protestant  countries,  and  by  protestant 
hands,  yet  they  are  generally  filled  with  these  remains 
of  popish  idolatry.  A  memorable  example  of  this  truth 
may  be  found  in  the  festival  called  candlemass,  which 
occurs  on  the  second  day  of  February.  This  festival, 
among  the  ancient  heathen,  was  called  Lupercalia,  and 
was  designed  to  celebrate  the  fabled  search  of  Ceres  for 
her   daughter    Proserpine.     In  this  search,  the  mother 


268  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

used  candles,  the  better  to  enable  her  to  examine  every 
retired  corner.  With  most  stupid  servility,  the  papists 
honor  this  day  with  a  procession  of  lighted  candles,  and 
call  the  day  candlemass. 

Such  is  the  idolatry  of  popery  as  it  stands  opposed  to 
the  first  commandment  of  the  decalogue,  "  Thou  shait 
have  no  other  gods  before  me,"  (or  in  my  presence.) 
The  papists,  as  we  have  seen,  do  have  a  multitude  of  dei- 
ties, of  diiferent  grades  and  employments,  from  the  vir- 
gin Mary  down  to  the  tutelar  gods  of  geese  and  swine. 

But  there  is  another  ground  on  which  popery  is  liable 
to  the  charge  of  idolatry,  and  that  is  the  use  of  image?? 
in  worship.  To  constitute  idolatry  in  this  respect,  as 
we  have  already  seen,  it  is  not  necessary  to  worship  the 
image  as  God,  or  as  containing  a  divinity,  but  to  use 
images  as  representatives  of  deity,  or  to  v/orship  them 
as  such  is  a  direct  violation  of  the  second  command.  And 
a  most  impressive  evidence  that  the  papists  feel  them- 
selves to  be  vulnerable  on  this  point  is,  that  they  have 
omitted  the  second  command  in  their  statements  of  the 
decalogue,  and  supplied  its  place  by  dividing  the  tenth 
into  two.  This  is  the  same  as  to  acknowledge  that  they 
cannot  meet  the  charge  of  idolatry  with  any  hope  of 
success,  while  the  second  command  has  a  standing  in  the 
moral  law  of  God.  It  can  be  nothing  less  than  a  tacit 
admission,  that  their  use  of  images  is  a  palpable  viola- 
tion of  this  command.  With  this  fact  in  view,  let  us 
examine  the  popish  practice  of  image  worship. 

The  following  constitution  was  established  by  Thomas, 
archbishop  of  Canterbury,  in  a  provincial  council  held 
at  Oxford,  1408,  viz.  "  From  henceforth  let  it  be  taught 
commonly,  and  preached  by  all,  that  the  cross  and  the 
image  of  the  crucifix,  and  the  rest  of  the  images  of  the 
saints,  in  memory  and  honor  of  them  whom  they  figure^ 
as  also  their  places  and  relicts,  ought  to  be  worshipped 
with  processions,  bendings  of  the  knee,  bowings  of  the 
body,  incensings»  kissings,  offerings,  lighting  of  candies. 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  269 

and  pilgrimages,  together  with  all  other  ii;ianners  and 
forms  whatsoever,  as  hath  been  accustomed  to  be  done  in 
our,  or  our  predecessors'  times."  In  the  popish  cate- 
chism, authorized  by  the  council  of  Trent,  the  parish 
priest  is  directed  to  instruct  the  people  as  follows.  "  Not 
only  that  it  is  lawful  to  have  images  in  the  church,  and 
to  give  honor  and  worship  unto  them,  (forasmuch  as  the 
honor  which  is  done  unto  them  is  referred  unto  the 
things  which  they  represent,)  but  also  that  this  hath  still 
been  done  to  the  great  good  of  the  faithful ;  and  that  the 
images  of  saints  are  put  in  churches,  as  well  that  they 
may  be  worshipped,  as  that  we,  being  admonished  by 
their  example,  might  conform  ourselves  to  their  life  and 
manners."  In  regard  to  the  nature  of  the  worship 
offered  to  the  images,  we  are  taught,  "  It  must  not  only 
be  confessed,  that  the  faithful  in  the  churches  do  adore 
before  the  images,  (as  some  peradventure  would  caute- 
lousiy  speak,)  but  also  adore  the  image  itself,  without 
what  scruple  you  will,  yea  they  do  reverence  it  with  the 
same  worship,  wherewith  they  do  the  thing  that  is  rep- 
resented thereby.  Wherefore  if  that  ought  to  be  adored 
with  latria,  or  divine  worship,  this  also  is  to  be  adored 
with  latria ;  if  with  doulia,  or  hyper-doulia,  this  is  like- 
wise to  be  adored  with  the  same  kind  of  worship.  And 
so  we  see  that  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  doth  directly  con- 
clude that  the  same  reverence  is  to  be  given  to  the  image 
of  Christ  as  to  Christ  himself;  and  by  consequence,  see- 
ing Christ  is  adored  with  the  adoration  of  latria,  or 
divine  worship,  his  image  is  to  be  adored  Avith  the  ado- 
ration of  latria.''^  Here  it  is  to  be  observed  that  the 
common  plea  of  worshipping  the  image  as  a  mere  rep- 
resentative of  absent  deity  is  not  true.  For  here  it  is 
distinctly  avowed,  and  sanctioned  by  the  name  of  Thomas 
Aquinas,  than  which  no  higher  popish  authority  can  be 
adduced,  that  the  image  itself  is  to  be  worshipped,  and 
to  be  worshipped  in  the  same  manner  as  that  which  it 
represents.     The  consequence  of  this  is,  that  when  the 

23* 


270  HISTORY    or    POPERY. 

ima^e  is  consecrated,  it  possesses  a  portion  of  divinity  in 
itself,  and  is  therefore  to  all  intents  and  purposes  a 
god.  A  great  divine  in  Spain  has  declared,  concerning 
the  above  doctrine  of  Thomas  Aquinas,  that  the  image 
and  the  sampler  represented  by  it  are  to  be  worshipped 
with  the  sstme  act  of  adoration,  that  it  is  most  true,  most 
pious,  and  very  consonant  to  the  decrees  of  faith.  This 
he  says  *'is  the  doctrine  not  only  of  St.  Thomas,  and  his 
disciples,  but  also  of  all  the  old  schoolmen  almost."  It  is 
then  to  be  received  as  an  established  and  authorised  doc- 
trine of  popery,  that  images  are  not  only  to  be  used  in 
worship,  but  that  they  are  really  to  be  worshipped.  And 
the  practice  of  papists  is  in  strict  conformity  with  this 
doctrine. 

In  speaking  of  the  mass,  the  fact  has  been  stated  that 
popery  teaches  its  votaries  to  believe  that  the  bread  and 
wine,  in  the  Lord's  supper,  are  changed  into  the  real 
flesh  and  blood  of  Christ.  Consequently,  the  host,  as  it 
is  called,  or  the  consecrated  bread  is  Christ  himself,  in 
popish  estimation.  In  accordance  with  this  idea,  those 
who  receive  the  consecrated  bread  into  their  stomachs 
are  viewed  as  receiving  Christ,  and  as  being  spiritually 
united  with  him  by  that  act.  And  when  the  consecrated 
host  is  elevated  in  the  view  of  the  people,  they  all  wor- 
ship before  it,  and  worship  it,  as  they  would  Christ  him- 
self. This  is  plainly  idolatry.  For  though  the  bread 
bears  no  likeness  in  form,  yet  it  is  a  material  substance, 
and  being  such  is  worshipped  as  a  real  deity.  All  the 
bowing  and  kissing  and  adoring,  therefore,  directed  to 
the  elements  used  in  the  Lord's  supper  are  most  flagrant 
idolatry. 

Popery  has  made  an  image  of  God  the  Father,  in  the 
form  of  an  aged  man,  to  denote  wisdom  and  eternity. 
Thus  papists  have  evidently  changed  the  glory  of  the 
incorruptible  God  into  an  image  made  like  the  corrupti- 
ble man.  For  to  represent  eternity  by  the  age  of  man, 
be  he  ever  so  old,  is  highly  absurd  ;  and  to  denote  divine 


H2ST0RY    OF    POPERY.  271 

wisdom  by  the  wisdom  of  aged  man  is  equally  inconsist- 
ent and  ridiculous.  The  image  of  Christ  is  usually 
that  of  a  body  extended  on  a  cross.  The  Holy  spirit  is 
represented  by  a  dove,  probably  from  a  mistaken  appre- 
hension of  the  passage  in  which  the  descent  of  the  spirit 
is  described.  John  i.  32.  "  I  saw  the  spirit  descending 
from  heaven  like  a  dove,  and  it  abode  upon  him."  This 
passage  does  not  say  that  the  spirit  descended  in  the 
bodily  shape  of  a  dove,  but  its  descent  was  attended  with 
some  visible  sign,  in  the  manner  of  a  dove,  hovering  orei 
and  alighting  upon  him.  If  one  should  say  that  a  man 
fell  from  some  height  to  the  earth  like  a  stone,  would  he 
mean  that  the  man  had  the  form  and  appearance  of  a 
stone  ?  And  here,  it  cannot  be  amiss  to  remark,  that  all 
those  representations  of  deity  by  pictures  and  forms  visi- 
ble to  the  eye,  such  as  a  dove  to  represent  the  spirit,  or 
an  eye  in  the  clouds,  to  represent  the  all-seeing  God,  or 
any  other  similitude,  even  if  not  designed  for  worship, 
are  in  degree  a  violation  of  the  second  command,  and  are 
false  and  dangerous  ;  consequently  should  be  avoided  in 
all  protestant  countries.  A  style  of  crockery  has  lately 
appeared,  called  the  millennium  pattern,  which  is  liable  to 
severe  reprehension  on  this  account.  It  is  but  a  remnant 
of  popery. 

But  papists  have  not  been  content  with  single  repre- 
sentations of  the  persons  in  the  Godhead,  they  have  gone 
to  such  lengths  of  impiety,  as  to  make  an  image  of  the 
Trinity,  in  the  form  of  a  man  with  three  faces.  It  is 
then  matter  of  truth  that  the  papists  do  make  images  of 
the  invisible  God,  images  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Ghost;  and  worship  them,  in  direct  contravention  of  the 
second  command.  They  also  make  images  of  men,  and 
women  ;  which  are  set  tip  and  worshipped  in  their  as- 
semblies. In  Rome  is  an  image  of  St.  Peter,  the  great 
toe  of  which  is  said  to  be  actually  worne  away  by  the 
kissing  of  devout  worshippers,  in  the  course  of  ages. 
It  must  be  no  common  worship  or  zeal  that  can  wear 


372  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

away  inches  of  solid  marble  by  application  of  the  lips. 
The  following  is  the  form  of  prayer  used  in  the  conse- 
cration of  images  as  authorised  by  pope  Urban  VIIL 
"  Grant  O  God,  that  whosoever,  before  this  image,  shall 
diligently  and  humbly  upon  his  knees,  worship  and  honor 
thine  only  begotten  son,  or  the  blessed  virgin,  (accord- 
ing as  the  image  is,  that  is  consecrated,)  or  this  glorious 
apostle  or  martyr,  or  confessor,  or  virgin,  that  he  may 
obtain,  by  his  or  her  merits  or  intercession,  grace  in  this 
present  life,  and  eternal  glory  hereafter." 

In  Loretta  is  an  image  of  the  virgin  Mary,  who  is  m 
fact  the  idol  of  the  place.  Middleton  relates,  that  in  the 
high  street  of  Loretta,  which  leads  to  the  holy  house,  the 
shops  are  filled  with  beads,  crucifixes,  lambs  of  God, 
and  all  the  trinkets  of  popish  superstition,  where  he  ob- 
served printed  certificates  or  testimonials  affixed  to  each 
shop,  declaring  all  their  toys  to  have  been  touched  by 
the  blessed  image  ;  which  certificates  are  provided  for 
no  other  purpose,  but  to  humor  the  general  persuasion, 
both  of  the  buyer  and  the  seller,  that  some  virtue  is  com- 
municated by  that  touch,  from  a  power  or  divinity  resi- 
ding in  the  image.  "  For  what  else,"  says  he,  "  can  we 
say  of  those  miraculous  images,  as  they  are  called,  in 
every  great  town  in  Italy,  but  that  some  divinity  or  power 
is,  universally  believed  to  reside  in  them  ?  Are  not  all 
their  people  persuaded,  and  do  not  all  their  books  testify 
that  these  images  have  sometimes  moved  themselves  from 
place  to  place,  have  wept,  talked,  and  performed  many 
miracles,  and  does  not  this  necessarily  imply  an  extraor- 
dinary power  residing  in  them  ?"  The  above  mentioned 
author  also  relates  from  the  journal  of  a  certain  traveller, 
that  in  one  of  the  churches  of  Lucca,  they  show  an  im- 
age of  the  virgin  with  the  child  Jesus  in  her  arms,  of 
which  the  following  story  is  told.  "  A  blasphemous 
gamester,  in  a  rage  of  despair,  took  a  stone  and  threw  it 
at  the  infant ;  but  the  virgin,  to  preserve  it  from  the  blow 
which  was  aimed  at  its  head,  shifted  him  instantly  from 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  273 

her  right  arm  into  the  left,  in  which  he  is  now  held ; 
while  the  blasphemer  was  swallowed  up  by  the  earth 
upon  the  spot,  where  the  hole,  which  they  declare  to  be 
unfathomable,  is  still  kept  open,  and  enclosed  only  with  a 
grate,  just  before  the  altar  of  the  image.  The  virgin 
however  received  the  blow  upon  her  shoulder,  whence 
the  blood  presently  issued,  which  is  preserved  in  a  chrys- 
tal,  and  produced  with  the  greatest  ceremony  by  the 
priest  in  his  vestments,  with  tapers  lighted,  while  all  the 
company  kiss  the  sacred  relic  on  their  knees."  On 
this  account  Dr.  JVKddleton  justly  inquires.  "  Now  does 
not  the  attestation  of  this  miracle  naturally  tend  to  per- 
suade people  that  there  is  an  actual  pow^er  residing  in 
the  image,  which  can  defend  itself  from  injuries,  and  in- 
flict vengeance  on  all  who  dare  to  insult  it?" 

St.  Dominic  was  the  founder  of  the  Inquisition,  and  of 
course  has  been  a  great  favorite  in  the  ranks  of  popery. 
"  One  of  the  most  celebrated  images  in  Italy,"  says  Dr. 
Middleton,  '•  is  that  of  St.  Dominic  of  Surriano,  in  Ca- 
labria ;  which,  as  their  histories  testify,  was  brought 
down  from  heaven  about  two  centuries  ago  by  the  virgin 
Mary  in  person,  accompanied  by  Mary  Magdalene  and 
St.  Catharine.  Before  this  glorious  picture  as  they  af- 
firm, great  numbers  of  the  dead  have  been  restored  to 
life,  and  hundreds  from  the  agonies  of  death  ;  the  dumb, 
the  blind,  the  deaf,  the  lame  have  been  cured,  and  all  sorts 
of  diseases  and  mortal  wounds  have  been  healed  ;  all 
which  facts  are  attested  by  public  notaries,  and  confirmed 
by  the  relations  of  cardinals,  prelates,  generals  and  pri- 
ors of  that  order,  and  the  certainty  of  them  so  generally 
believed,  that,  from  the  9th  of  July  to  the  9th  of  August, 
the  anniversary  festival  of  the  saint,  they  have  always 
counted  above  a  hundred  thousand  pilgrims,  and  many 
of  them  of  the  highest  quality,  who  come  from  different 
parts  of  Europe  to  pay  their  devotions  and  make  their 
offerings  at  this  picture."  Aringhus,  as  cited  by  Mid- 
dleton, makes  the  following  remarks  respecting  images 


274  HISTORY    OF    POPERY, 

in  general,  and  respecting  the  image  of  St.  Dominic  in 
particular.  "  Within  these  few  years,  under  every  pope 
successively,  some  of  our  sacred  images,  especially  of 
the  more  ancient,  have  made  themselves  illustrious,  and 
acquired  a  peculiar  worship  and  veneration  by  the  exhi- 
bition of  fresh  signs,  as  is  notorious  to  all,  who  dwell  in 
this  city.  But  how  can  I  pass  over  in  silence  the  imasre 
of  St.  Dominic,  so  conspicuous  at  this  day  for  its  never 
ceasing  miracles,  which  attract  the  resort  and  admiration 
of  the  whole  Christian  world.  This  picture,  which,  as 
pious  tradition  informs  us,  was  brought  down  from  hea- 
ven, about  the  year  of  our  redemption  1530,  is  a  most 
solid  bulwark  of  the  church  of  Christ,  and  a  noble  monu- 
ment of  the  pure  faith  of  Christians,  against  all  the  impir 
ous  opposers  of  image  worship.  The  venerable  image  is 
drawn  indeed  but  rudely,  without  the  help  of  art  or  pen- 
cil, sketched  out  by  a  celestial  hand,  with  a  book  in  its 
right  hand,  and  a  lilly  in  its  left,  of  a  moderate  stature, 
but  of  a  grave  and  comely  aspect,  with  a  robe  reaching 
down  to  the  heels.  Those  who  have  written  its  history, 
assert  that  the  painters,  in  their  attempts  to  copy  it,  have 
not  always  been  able  to  take  similar  copies,  because  it 
frequently  assumes  a  different  air,  and  rays  of  light  have 
been  seen  by  some  to  issue  from  its  countenance,  and  it 
has  more  than  once  removed  itself  from  one  place  to  an- 
other. The  worship,  therefore,  of  this  picture  is  become 
so  famous,  through  all  Christendom,  that  multitudes  of 
people,  to  the  number  of  a  hundred  thousand  and  up- 
wards, flock  annually  to  pay  their  devotions  to  it,  on  the 
festival  of  the  saint.  And  though  it  be  strange  which  I 
have  now  related,  yet  what  I  am  going  to  say  is  still 
stranger,  that  not  only  the  original  picture,  not  made  by 
human  but  by  heavenly  hands,  is  celebrated  by  its  daily 
miracles,  but  even  the  copy  of  it,  which  is  piously  pre- 
served in  this  city,  in  the  monastery  called  St.  Mary's 
above  the  Minerva,  is  famous  also  in  these  our  days,  for 
its  perpetual  signs  and  wonders,  as  the  numberless  vo* 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  275 

tive  offerings  hanging  around  it,  and  the  bracelets  and 
jewels  which  adorn  it,  testify." 

Such  is  the  worship  of  St.  Dominic's  images  by  pa- 
pists ;  and,  as  he  was  a  blood-thirsty,  cruel  man,  their 
high  estimation  of  his  character,  shown  in  their  worship 
of  his  image,  proves  that  such  a  character  is  consonant 
to  the  prevailing  feelings  of  papists.  The  Avorship  of 
Bacchus  and  Venus  by  the  ancient  heathen,  indicated 
their  own  licentiousness  :  so  the  popularity  attending  the 
worship  of  St.  Dominic,  the  Moloch  of  modern  idolatry, 
shows  the  prevalent  spirit  of  popery.  The  story  of  the 
picture  of  St.  Dominic  being  brought  down  from  heaven, 
is  evidently  borrowed  from  the  ancient  heathen  tradition 
concerning  the  image  of  Diana  of  Ephesus,  that  it  fell 
down  from  Jupiter  out  of  heaven.  It  was  a  favorite 
notion  of  the  heathen,  that  they  had  shields  and  swords 
made  by  the  gods.;  and  old  Vulcan,  the  divine  black- 
smith, had  a  great  deal  of  custom  from  this  nether  world. 
And  it  would  seem,  from  the  foregoing  heathenish  tale 
about  the  picture  of  St.  Dominic,  that  there  are  painters  in 
heaven,  who  can  represent,  though  but  rudely,  earthy  bo- 
dies, and  give  their  paintings  earthy  substance.  How  this 
can  be,  the  credulous  worshippers  of  Dominic  do  not  in- 
form u&.  But  it  is  vain  for  any  advocate  of  popery  to  tell 
us  after  this  that  images  are  only  worshipped  as  visible  re- 
presentatives of  absent  divinity,  when  they  are  believed  to 
have  consciousness  and  the  power  of  working  miracles. 

It  must  be  evident,  therefore,  that  popery  stands,  in  the 
face  of  the  world,  chargeable  with  open  and  authorized 
idolatry.  And  there  is  no  plea  by  which  she  attempts  to 
shelter  herself  from  this  charge,  which  would  not  be 
equally  valid  in  defence  of  the  idolatry  of  the  heathen. 
Is  it  said  that  images  and  pictures  are  calculated  to  im- 
press truth  upon  the  mind  ?  So  said  the  Hindoo  who  once 
visited  London.  He  very  much  censured  the  want  of 
images  in  the  churches  of  protestant  Christians.  He 
said  the  worshippers  had  nothing  upon  which  they  could 


276  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

fix  their  attention,  and  hence  they  were  often  gazing  at 
each  other,  and  often  at  mere  inanity.  "  We,"  said  he, 
"have  in  our  temples  an  image  of  the  Deity  to  look  at, 
with  large  eyes,  huge  ears,  great  hands,  and  long  feet. 
Not  that  we  believe  this  very  image  to  be  the  Deity,  but 
we  use  it  only  to  fix  our  attention,  and  to  remind  us  that 
the  being  whom  it  represents,  can  see  every  thing,  and 
hear  every  thing."  Who  does  not  see  that  this  argu- 
ment, though  coming  from  a  heathen,  is  equally  applica- 
ble to  the  practices  of  popery  t 

Will  it  be  said  that  there  is  something  specious  in  the 
canonization  and  festive  honor  of  eminent  men.  The 
same  may  be  said,  and  doubtless  has  been  felt  in  all  its 
force,  by  the  heathen.  The  worship  of  the  calf  in  the 
wilderness,  by  the  Israelites,  was  esteemed  and  treated 
as  downright  idolatry.  But  there  were  many  plausible 
reasons  for  this  worship,  more  perhaps  than  we  at  first 
imagine.  The  worship  of  the  calf  is  supposed  to  have 
been  suggested  by  the  worship  of  the  god  Apis,  in  Egypt. 
This  god  was  represented  by  the  figure  of  an  ox,  and  the 
ox  is  supposed  to  have  been  chosen  in  reference  to  the 
service  rendered  to  Egypt  by  Joseph,  the  great  deliverer 
of  the  nation  from  famine.  The  years  of  plenty  and  of 
famine  had  been  represented  in  the  dream  of  Pharaoh, 
each  by  seven  kine.  On  this  account  probably,  the  ox, 
or  kine,  which  is  the  female  of  the  same  species  of  ani- 
mal, became  a  symbol  of  the  deliverance  of  Egypt,  and 
of  Joseph  the  deliverer.  The  Israelites  understood  this. 
And  when  Moses  had  been  absent  so  long  as  to  lead  them 
to  despair  of  his  return,  what  would  be  more  natural  than 
for  them  to  think  of  Joseph,  the  illustrious  benefactor  of 
their. race,  whose  bones  they  were  transporting  with 
them  ;  and,  thinking  of  him,  what  would  be  more  natu- 
ral than  to  think  of  his  representative,  in  the  worship  to 
which  they  had  been  witnesses  in  Egypt  ?  And  what 
more  plausible,  in  the  absence  of  Moses,  than  to  attempt 
to  invoke  the  presence  of  Joseph,  by  the  worship  of  the 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  277 

young  ox  1  This  is  all  plausible,  and  perfectly  conso- 
nant with  the  feelings  of  the  carnal  mind.  But  it  was 
rank  idolatry  nevertheless.  The  principle  was  wrong. 
They  were  not  to  look  to  any  finite  power  or  deliverer, 
but  to  God  only.  Him  they  were  taught  to  worship, 
and  to  have  no  gods  before  him.  The  heathen  might 
have  many  plausible  things  to  say  in  favor  of  their  ido- 
latry. They  honor  and  celebrate  eminent  men,  heroes, 
and  deliverers.  Hercules  destroyed  various  monsters 
that  desolated  the  earth,  and  who  could  refuse  him  di- 
vine honor  ?  What  better  can  be  said  of  popish  saints, 
who  make  up  the  list  of  demons  in  the  worship  of  po- 
pery ?  What  more,  for  example,  can  be  said  of  St.  Pa- 
trick, the  tutelar  demon  of  Ireland,  supposing  it  true  that 
he  cleared  that  island  of  venomous  reptiles,  as  tradition 
relates  ?  Indeed  the  worship  of  creatures  for  their  real 
or  imaginary  virtues  or  benefactions  all  stands  on  the 
same  principle,  whether  it  be  papal  or  pagan.  It  is 
loving  and  serving  the  creature  rather  than  the  Creator, 
and  this  is  idolatry.  The  same  principle,  followed  out, 
will  lead  to  the  worship  of  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  and 
indeed  to  the  worship  of  four-footed  beasts  and  creeping 
things.  It  is  all  idolatry  from  first  to  last.  And  popery 
is  almost  as  deeply  involved  in  this  guilt  as  paganism. 


SECTION   VIII. 

PERSECUTIONS    OF    POPERY. 

It  has  been  the  boast  of  the  advocates  of  popery,  that 
the  church  of  Rome  never  persecuted.  The  manner  in 
which  this  conclusion  is  reached  is  so  much  of  a  curio- 
sity, and  affords  so  choice  a  specimen  of  popish  logic, 
that  it  deserves  a  particular  statement.  The  papists  de- 
fine persecution  to  be,  violence  used  towards  the  friends 
of  the  truth,  and  the  true  church  of  Christ,  whereby  they 

24 


278  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

suffer  for  righteousness'  sake.  The  bearing  of  this  defi- 
nition will  be  seen  by  every  reader.  The  papists  consi- 
der themselves  the  only  friends  to  the  truth,  and  their 
nominal  church  as  the  only  true  church  of  Christ.  Con- 
sequently there  can  be  no  persecution,  in  their  view,  but 
what  is  directed  against  themselves.  All  who  differ  from 
them  are  heretics,  as  they  say,  and  to  use  violence  with 
heretics,  even  to  imprison  and  destroy  them,  by  any 
means,  or  to  any  extent,  is  no  persecution  ;  because  it  is. 
as  they  say,  their  duty  to  suppress  heretics,  and  to  sup- 
port the  true  faith.  If  any  measure  is  taken  to  restrict 
papists,  or  to  limit  their  power,  this  is  persecution,  awful 
violence  against  the  friends  of  the  truth.  Papists  must 
have  full  liberty  to  think,  speak,  write,  and  publish  as 
they  please  ;  and  all  who  difier  from  them,  however  con- 
scientiously or  justly,  are  enemies  to  the  truth,  and  de- 
serving of  utter  destruction.  On  this  ground  the  papists 
allege,  that  none  but  their  opposers  have  ever  perse- 
cuted. But  papists  do  not  appear  to  reflect,  that  this 
principle  would  prove  that  there  is,  and  can  be,  no  such 
thing  as  persecution.  The  heathen  of  old  pagan  Rome 
held  that  their  religion  was  the  only  true  religion,  and 
consequently,  that  all  who  opposed,  or  adopted  any  new 
system,  were  contemners  of  the  gods,  and  enemies  to  re- 
ligion. On  this  ground  they  proceeded  to  use  violence. 
And  if  Rome  papal  is  correct  in  her  position,  Rome  pa- 
gan was  correct  in  hers,  and  there  never  has  been  any 
such  thing  as  persecution.  The  fallacy  of  this  reasoning- 
lies  in  the  principle  assumed  in  the  definition  of  persecu- 
tion. The  truth  is,  every  accountable  agent  is  his  own 
judge  as  to  what  true  religion  is  ;  and  no  one  has  the  right 
to  judge  for  another.  Persecution,  therefore,  consists  in 
using  violence  or  constraint  with  men,  for  believing  and 
practicing  what  they  conscientiously  judge  to  be  truth 
and  duty.  This  is  the  right  of  conscience,  and  so  long 
as  it  keeps  within  its  proper  sphere,  and  does  not  in- 
fringe on  the  rights  of  others,  or  the  public  welfare,  it 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  279 

must  be  held  sacred.  To  deny  this  right  is  persecution. 
And  the  papists,  by  assuming  to  themselves  the  right  of 
controling  the  consciences  of  their  fellow-men,  assume 
the  principle  and  attitude  of  persecutors. 

Another  principle  of  persecution  adopted  and  carried 
into  practice  by  papists  is,  that  no  faith  is  to  be  kept  with 
heretics.  This  is  as  much  as  to  say,  that  all  who  do  not 
receive  their  doctrines  and  opinions  implicitly,  are  to  be 
disfranchised,  and  not  entitled  to  any  of  the  rights  of 
moral  beings.  The  most  solemn  promises  and  treaties, 
in  these  circumstances,  have  no  binding  force  in  the  esti- 
mation of  papists.  This  sentiment,  indeed,  is  nothing 
less  than  a  sentence  of  universal  outlawry,  passed  against 
the  human  family  if  they  do  not  choose  to  become  pa- 
pists. But,  as  the  adoption  of  this  principle  by  papists  is 
sometimes  denied,  the  first  illustration  of  popish  perse- 
cution may  properly  be  the  proof,  that  popery  maintains 
the  sentiment  that  no  faith  is  to  be  kept  with  heretics. 

Here  it  may  be  remarked,  that  the  doctrine  of  indul- 
gences, when  carried  out  to  its  legitimate  consequences, 
implies  this  sentiment.  For  if  the  pope,  or  his  priests, 
can  commute  crimes  and  punishments  ;  if  they  can  grant 
absolution  at  all ;  they  can  do  it  in  respect  to  breaches  of 
faith,  as  w^ell  as  to  any  other  offences,  and  thus  nullify  at 
a  blow  the  most  solemn  obligations  and  engagements. 
That  the  doctrine  of  indulgences  is  understood  by  papists 
themselves  to  have  this  extent  of  application,  is  evident 
from  the  dispensation  given  to  the  king  and  queen  of 
France,  and  to  their  successors  forever,  by  pope  Clement 
VI.  It  is  as  follows,  viz  : — "  Clement,  bishop,  servant 
of  the  servants  of  God,  to  our  most  dear  son  and  daugh- 
ter in  Christ,  John  and  Joan,  king  and  queen  of  France, 
greeting,  and  our  apostolic  benediction.  Your  desires 
we  willingly  approve  of,  and  especially  those,  wherein 
may  God  graciously  give  you  that  peace  and  repose  of 
soul  you  piously  seek  after  ;  hence  it  is  that  we,  ready  to 
answer  your  bumble  request,  do,  by  our  apostolic  au- 


380  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

thority,  grant  by  these  presents,  an  indulgence  forever 
hereafter,  to  you  and  your  successors,  that  for  the  time 
being,  shall  be  kings  and  queens  of  France,  and  to  every 
of  you  and  them ;  that  such  confessor,  regular  or  secu- 
lar, as  you  and  they  shall  choose,  may  commute,  for  such 
vows  as  you  may  have  already  made,  or  which,  by  you 
or  your  successors,  may  be  hereafter  made  ;  (vows  touch- 
ing the  holy  land,  the  blessed  apostles,  Peter  and  Paul, 
and  of  chastity  and  continence  only  excepted ;)  and  also 
such  oaths  by  you  taken,  and  by  you  and  them  to  be 
taken,  in  all  times  coming,  that  you  and  they  cannot  'pro- 
fitably keep ;  by  other  works  of  piety,  as  to  him  shall 
seem  expedient  towards  God,  and  for  the  peace  of  your 
and  their  souls.  Be  it,  therefore,  utterly  unlawful  for 
any  upon  earth  to  annul  this  our  grant,  or  by  any  act  of 
temerity  to  controvert  the  same.  And  be  it  known  to 
any  one  that  presumptuously  attempts  so  to  do,  that  he 
forthwith  incurs  the  wrath  of  Almighty  God,  and  of  his 
blessed  apostles,  Peter  and  Paul.  Given  at  Avignon, 
May  12,  1347." 

This  indulgence,  every  one  can  see,  saps  the  founda- 
tion of  all  faith,  by  allowing  men  to  disregard  their  so- 
lemn oaths,  when  they  cannot  profitably  keep  them.  Of 
course,  oaths  and  engagements  to  heretics  can  be  dis- 
pensed or  commuted.  But  direct  evidence  of  the  senti- 
ment in  question  is  abundant.  Gregory  VII.  made  a  de- 
cree prohibiting  all  to  keep  faith  with  excommunicated 
persons,  until  they  made  satisfaction.  And  as  all  heretics 
were  excommunicated  of  course,  this  decree  reaches  the 
point  in  question,  and  not  only  allows  papists  to  break 
their  faith  with  heretics,  but  requires  them  to  do  it. 
Martin  V.  says,  in  one  of  his  epistles,  "  Be  assured  that 
thou  sinnest  mortally  if  thou  keep  thy  faith  with  here- 
tics." Gregory  IX.  made  the  following  law  : — "  Be  it 
known  to  all  who  are  under  the  jurisdiction  of  those  who 
have  openly  fallen  into  heresy,  that  they  are  free  from 
the  obligations  of  fidelity,  dominion,  and  every  kind  of 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  281 

obedience  to  ihem  ;  by  whatever  bond  or  means  they  are 
tied  to  them ;  and  how  securely  soever  they  may  be 
bound."  On  this  law,  a  popish  bishop  makes  the  follow- 
ing comment : — "  Governors  of  forts,  and  all  kinds  of 
vassals  are,  by  this  constitution,  freed  from  the  bond  of 
the  oath,  whereby  they  had  promised  fidelity  to  their 
lords  and  masters.  Moreover,  a  catholic  wife  is  not 
obliged  to  perform  the  marriage  contract  with  a  heretical 
husband.  If  faith  is  not  to  be  kept  with  tyrants,  pirates, 
and  other  robbers,  who  kill  the  body,  much  less  with 
obstinate  heretics,  who  kill  the  soul.  Aye,  but  it  is  a  sad 
thing  to  break  faith.  But,  as  saith  Merius  Salomonius, 
faith  promised  against  Christ,  if  kept,  is  verily  perfidy. 
Justly,  therefore,  were  some  heretics  burnt,  by  the  most 
solemn  judgment  of  the  council  of  Constance,  although 
they  had  been  promised  security.  And  St.  Thomas,  also, 
is  of  opinion,  that  a  Catholic  might  deliver  over  an  in- 
tractable heretic  to  the  judges,  notwithstanding  he  had 
pledged  his  faith  to  him,  and  even  confirmed  it  by  the 
solemnity  of  an  oath."  Saith  Bonacina,  "  Contracts 
made  against  the  canon  law  are  invalid,  though  confirmed 
by  an  oath  ;  and  no  man  is  bound  to  stand  to  his  promise, 
though  he  had  sworn  to  it."  Pope  Innocent,  in  his  bull 
against  the  Waldenses,  in  1487,  declares  on  the  strength 
of  his  apostolical  authority,  that  "  all  those  who  had  been 
bound  and  obligated  by  contract,  or  any  way  whatever, 
to  grant  or  pay  any  thing  to  them,  should  not  be  under 
any  manner  of  obligation  to  do  so  for  time  to  come." 
Pope  Pius  v.,  by  his  legate,  endeavored  to  persuade  the 
emperor,  "  that  no  faith  or  oaths  were  to  be  kept  with  an 
infidel."  The  emperor  Charles  V.,  having  given  his 
promise  and  safe  conduct  to  Luther  in  attending  the  diet 
at  Worms,  was  urged  by  papists  to  violate  it,  by  arresting 
Luther  on  the  spot,  which  he  refused  to  do.  But  this 
great  point  need  not  be  rested  on  the  declarations  of  indi- 
viduals. We  may  cite  the  authority  of  the  council  of 
Constance,  which  assembled  in  1414,  to  which  papists 


282  HISTORY    OF    POPERY, 

allow  the  greatest  deference.  The  theory  of  this  councii 
in  regard  to  the  point  in  question,  is  as  follows,  viz  : — 
"  The  holy  synod  of  Constance  declares  concerning  every 
safe  conduct  granted  by  the  emperor,  kings,  and  other 
temporal  princes,  to  heretics,  or  persons  accused  of  he- 
resy, in  hopes  of  reclaiming  them,  that  it  ought  not  to  be 
of  any  prejudice  to  the  catholic  faith,  or  ecclesiastical 
jurisdiction,  nor  to  hinder  but  that  such  persons  may  and 
ought  to  be  examined,  judged,  and  punished,  according 
as  justice  shall  require,  if  those  heretics  shall  refuse  to 
revoke  their  errors,  although  they  shall  have  come  to  the 
place  of  judgment  relying  on  their  safe  conduct,  and 
without  which  they  would  not  have  come  thither.  And 
the  person  who  shall  have  promised  them  security,  shall 
not  in  this  case  be  obliged  to  keep  his  promise,  by  what- 
ever tie  he  may  have  been  engaged,  when  he  has  done 
all  that  is  in  his  power  to  do."  This  was  the  deliberate 
sentiment  of  the  council  of  Constance.  And  this  senti- 
ment they  proceeded  to  put  in  practice,  in  a  manner  and 
under  circumstances  which  demands  the  execration  of  the 
whole  civilized  world.  John  Huss  of  Bohemia,  being 
summoned  to  the  council,  to  answer  to  a  charge  of 
heresy,  and  he  with  his  friends  fearing  violence,  the  safe 
conduct  of  the  emperor  Sigismund  was  given  him,  in 
which  the  emperor  pledged  his  word  and  honor  that 
Huss  should  be  protected  from  all  violence  till  he  re- 
turned to  his  place  of  residence.  He  accordingly  came 
to  the  council.  There  he  was  found  to  be,  in  the  judg- 
ment of  the  council,  a  heretic.  He  was  accordingly 
condemned  to  the  stake,  and,  without  any  regard  to  the 
solemn  pledge  of  the  emperor,  publicly  burnt.  The 
emperor,  indeed,  endeavored  to  interpose,  and  manifested 
some  conscience  about  his  engagement  \  but  the  holy  fa- 
thers taught  him,  as  in  the  decree  above  cited,  that  faith 
with  heretics  is  not  to  be  observed.  Jerome  of  Prague, 
who  was  condemned  and  burnt  by  the  same  council,  had 
a  safe  conduct  from  the  council  itself.     So,  in  this  case, 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  283 

the  pitiful  subterfuge  resorted  to  in  regard  to  Hubs,  that 
he  had  only  the  pledge  of  the  emperor,  would  not  apply. 
The  council  violated  their  own  solemn  engagement,  and 
burnt  an  innocent  man  at  the  stake,  after  they  had  assured 
him,  by  a  deliberate  promise,  that  his  person  should  be 
safe  among  them.  These  facts  establish  the  points  in 
question,  and  fix  the  sentiment  on  the  whole  body  of  pa- 
pists ;  because  these  things  were  done  at  a  general  coun- 
cil, composed  of  the  highest  dignitaries  of  their  commu- 
nity, and  its  decisions  have  always  been  considered  bind- 
ing upon  papists.  In  this  council,  according  to  popery, 
dwelt  infallibility,  and  therefore  papists  of  the  present 
day,  though  they  may  shrink  from  an  open  avowal  of 
this  obnoxious  sentiment,  from  which  the  intelligence  of 
the  present  age  revohs,  must,  by  some  shifts,  defend  the 
holy  council,  or  bring  it  off,  the  best  way  they  can.  But 
to  confess  any  thing  wrong  in  the  matter  is  out  of  the 
question,  and  would  at  once  dissolve  the  charm  of  popery. 

The  council  of  Trent,  which  met  subsequently  to  the 
reformation,  and  more  than  a  hundred  years  after  the 
council  above  mentioned,  distinctly  recognized  and  sanc- 
tioned the  decree  of  the  council  of  Constance.  This 
council  of  Trent  is  the  last  general  council  which  has 
ever  convened  under  the  auspices  of  popery.  It  is  plain 
therefore  that  the  ordinance  of  Constance,  has  never  been 
revoked  by  any  competent  authority,  and  that  the  ordi- 
nance now  stands  valid  as  a  law  of  popery  in  all  coun- 
tries. It  may  however  be  deemed  expedient  not  to  ad- 
vance the  doctrine  in  all  countries,  and  at  all  times. 
This  however  so  far  from  making  any  thing  in  favor  of 
popery,  only  shews,  to  use  a  vulgar  proverb,  that  she 
has  learned  to  conceal,  as  occasion  requires,  the  cloven 
foot. 

Limborch  in  his  history  of  the  inquisition,  brings  many 
popish  authorities  to  shew  that  it  is  a  rule  universally 
understood  by  papists  that,  "  Subjects,  when  a  prince  or 
magistrate  is  a  heretic,  are  freed  from  their  obedience." 


284  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

Kings,  whom  the  pope  has  pronounced  heretics,  have, 
with  all  their  posterity,  been  deprived  of  all  their  digni- 
ties, jurisdictions,  and  rights,  their  subjects  absolved  from 
their  oaths  of  allegiance  and  fidelity,  and  their  domi- 
nions given  as  a  prey  to  others.  And  finally  they  are 
deprived  of  their  natural  rights,  and  lose  all  property  in 
every  thing  which  they  have. 

But  more  especially  is  this  persecuting  principle,  that 
no  faith  is  to  be  kept  with  heretics,  illustrated  by  the 
practice  of  the  inquisition.  This  court,  as  we  have  seen, 
is  established  on  the  pure  principles  of  popery,  and  has 
always  been  to  her  as  a  right  hand.  When  persons  sus- 
pected of  heresy  are  brought  before  this  court,  they  are 
generally  tempted  to  accuse  themselves.  And  to  induce 
them  to  do  this,  they,  are  allured  by  promises,  that  if  they 
frankly  confess,  they  shall  receive  mercy.  The  faith  of 
the  holy  ofiice  is  thus  pledged  to  the  person  under  ex- 
amination. But  no  sooner  is  confession  made,  than  the 
faith  is  violated,  and  the  criminal  is  consigned  to  punish- 
ment. If  no  confession  is  made,  which  answers  the  pur- 
pose of  the  inquisitors,  though  it  may  be  the  whole  truth, 
yet  the  accused  is  subjected  to  the  tortures  of  the  rack 
until  he  will  confess  enough  to  ensure  his  destruction. 
An  example  of  this  sort  occurred  at  Seville,  as  related  by 
Limborch,  from  Gonsalvius.  "  About  the  yerr  1559, 
among  others  who  were  seized  at  Seville  by  the  inquisi- 
tion, was  a  certain  pious  matron,  with  her  two  virgin 
daughters,  and  her  neice,  by  her  sister  who  was  married. 
As  they  endured  those  tortures  of  all  kinds,  by  which  their 
enemies  endeavored  to  make  them  perfidiously  betray  their 
brethren  in  Christ,  and  especially  to  accuse  one  another, 
the  inquisitor  at  length  commanded  one  of  the  daughters 
to  be  sent  for  to  audience.  There  he  discoursed  with  her 
alone  for  a  considerable  time,  in  order  to  comfort  her  as 
she  needed.  After  the  conversation  the  young  lady  was 
remanded  to  prison.  After  a  few  days  he  repeated  the 
scene,  and  so  from  time  to  time,  telling  her  how  much 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  285 

he  was  grieved  for  her  afflictions,  and  then  intermixing 
familiarly  other  pleasant  and  agreeable  things.  All  this 
was  designed  to  gain  the  confidence  of  the  young  lady, 
and  make  her  feel  that  he  sympathized  with  her  in  her 
calamity,  and  was  disposed,  as  a  father,  to  consult  her 
safety  and  that  of  her  mother  and  sisters,  if  by  any  means 
it  could  be  affected.  After  a  few  such  interviews  of  sym- 
pathy and  kindness,  when  he  perceived  that  he  had 
gained  the  young  lady's  confidence,  he  began  cautiously 
to  persuade  her  to  discover  to  him  what  she  knew  of  her- 
self, her  mother,  sisters,  and  aunts,  who  were  not  yet  ap- 
prehended, promising  upon  oath,  that  if  she  would  faith- 
iitlly  discover  to  him  all  that  she  knew  of  that  afiair,  he 
would  find  a  method  to  relieve  her  of  all  her  misfortunes, 
and  to  send  them  all  back  again  to  their  houses.  The 
young  lady,  being  blinded  by  the  promise,  began  to  tell 
the  holy  father  something  relating  to  the  doctrine  she  had 
been  taught,  and  about  which  they  used  to  confer  with 
each  other.  When  the  inquisitor  had  thus  got  a  clue, 
he  dexterously  endeavored  to  find  his  way  through  the 
whole  labyrinth,  sometimes  calling  the  young  lady  to 
audience,  that  what  she  had  deposed  might  be  taken 
down  in  a  legal  manner,  always  persuading  her  that  this 
would  be  the  only  certain  means  of  removing  all  her 
evils.  But  at  length  when  he  had  drawn  forth  what  he 
could,  and  w^hat  he  had  not  before  extorted  by  torture,  he 
determined  to  bring  her  again  to  the  rack,  and  compel 
her  to  discover  the  whole.  Accordingly  she  was  made 
to  suffer  the  most  cruel  tortures  of  the  holy  office,  and  in 
the  extremity  of  her  agony  she  accused  her  mother,  sis- 
ters, and  several  others,  who  were  all  taken  up,  tortured 
and  burnt  in  the  same  fire  with  the  young  lady,  who  had 
been  the  victim  of  this  treachery."  This  case  is  only 
one  among  thousands  which  are  almost  constantly  occur- 
ring in  the  proceedings  of  the  holy  office.  The  usual 
practice  with  the  inquisitors  has  been  to  promise  their 
prisoners  mercy,  and  to  confirm  this  promise  by  their 


286  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

solemn  oaths,  that  they  might  by  this  means  extort  some- 
thing either  against  the  prisoners  or  their  friends,  and 
then  to  violate  these  oaths  without  hesitation  or  reserve. 

The  persecuting  principles  of  popery  being  thus  esta- 
blished, it  is  time  to  proceed  to  the  examination  of  the 
black  catalogue  of  facts,  in  relation  to  this  subject.  But 
before  this  is  done  it  may  be  proper  to  give  a  specimen 
of  the  sentences  pronounced  by  the  popes  against  those 
who  offend  them.  From  the  spirit,  manifested  in 
these,  the  reader  will  be  in  a  measure  prepared  for  what 
follows.  The  example  chosen  relates  to  the  following 
case.  The  pope  was  the  proprietor  of  some  alum  works 
on  the  continent.  One  of  the  workmen  eloped,  came  to 
England  and  revealed  the  secrets  of  the  trade.  The 
pope  sent  after  him  an  excommunication,  Avhich,  it  is 
needless  to  say,  but  poorly  comports  with  the  example  of 
him  who  said  "  bless  and  curse  not^ 

"  By  authority  of  God  almighty,  Father,  Son  and 
Holy  Ghost,  and  of  the  holy  canons,  and  of  the  imma- 
culate virgin  Mary,  the  mother  and  patroness  of  our  Sa- 
viour, and  of  all  the  celestial  virtues,  angels,  archangels, 
thrones,  dominions,  powers,  cherubim,  and  seraphim  ; 
and  all  the  holy  patriarchs  and  prophets  ;  and  of  all  the 
apostles  and  evangelists,  and  of  the  holy  innocents,  who 
in  the  sight  of  the  holy  Lamb,  are  found  worthy  to  sing 
the  new  song ;  of  the  holy  martyrs  and  holy  confessors  ; 
and  of  the  holy  virgins  and  all  the  saints  together  with  all 
the  elect  of  God,  we  excommunicate  and  anathematize 

this   thief,  or  this   malefactor   N ,   and  from  the 

thresholds  of  the  holy  church  of  Almighty  God,  we  se- 
quester him,  that  he  may  be  tormented,  disposed,  and 
delivered  over  with  Dathan  and  Abiram,  and  with  those 
who  say  unto  the  Lord  God  depart  from  us,  for  we  de- 
sire not  the  knowledge  of  thy  ways,  and  as  fire  is  quench- 
ed with  water,  so  let  his  light  be  put  out  forever,  unless 
he  repent  and  make  satisfaction.  Amen.  May  God  the 
Father,  who  made  m.an,  curse  him.     Mav  God  the  son, 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  287 

who  suffered  for  us,  curse  him.  May  the  Holy  Ghost, 
who  was  given  to  us  in  baptism,  curse  him.  May  the 
holy  cross,  which  Christ  for  our  salvation  triumphantly 
ascended,  curse  him.  May  the  holy  and  eternal  virgin 
Mary,  curse  him.  May  St.  Michael,  the  advocate  of  holy 
souls,  curse  him.  May  St.  John,  the  chief  forerunner 
and  baptist  of  Christ,  curse  him.  May  St.  Peter,  St.  Paul, 
and  St.  Andrew,  and  all  the  other  apostles  of  Christ, 
together  with  the  rest  of  his  disciples  and  the  four  evan- 
gelists, curse  him.  May  the  holy  and  wonderful  com- 
pany of  martyrs  and  confessors,  who  by  their  holy  works 
are  found  pleasing  to  Cxod,  cyirse  him.  May  the  holy 
choir  of  the  holy  virgins,  who  for  the  honor  of  Christ 
have  despised  the  things  of  this  world,  curse  him.  May 
all  the  saints,  who  from  the  beginning  of  the  world  to 
everlasting  ages  are  found  to  be  the  beloved  of  God, 
curse  him.  May  the  heaven  and  the  earth,  and  all 
things  therein  remaining,  curse  him.  May  he  be  cursed 
wherever  he  may  be,  whether  in  the  house  or  in  the 
field,  in  the  high  way,  or  in  the  path,  in  the  wood,  or  in 
the  water,  or  in  the  church.  May  he  be  cursed  in  living 
and  in  dying,  in  eating,  in  drinking,  in  being  hungry,  in 
being  thirsty,  in  fasting,  in  sleeping,  in  slumbering,  in 
waking,  in  walking,  in  standing,  in  sitting,  in  lying,  in 
working,  in  resting.  May  he  be  cursed  in  all  the  powers 
of  his  body.  May  he  be  cursed  within  and  without. 
May  he  be  cursed  in  the  hair  of  his  head,  may  he  be 
cursed  in  his  brain.  May  he  be  cursed  in  the  crown  of 
his  head,  in  his  temples,  in  his  forehead,  in  his  ears,  in 
his  eyebrows,  in  his  cheeks,  in  his  jaw  bones,  in  his  nos- 
trils, in  his  foreteeth,  in  his  grinders,  in  his  lips,  in  his 
throat,  in  his  shoulders,  in  his  wrists,  in  his  arms,  in  his 
hands,  in  his  breast,  and  in  all  the  interior  parts  of  the 
very  stomach,  in  his  reins,  in  his  groin,  and  in  his  thighs, 
in  his  hips,  in  his  knees,  in  his  legs,  in  his  feet,  in  his  joints 
and  in  his  nails.  May  he  be  cursed  in  the  whole  struc- 
ture of  his  members.     From  the  crown  of  his  head  to 


288  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

the  sole  of  his  feet,  may  there  be  no  soundness  in  him. 
May  the  Son  of  the  living  God,  with  all  the  glory  of  his 
majesty,  curse  him.  And  may  heaven  and  all  the  pow- 
ers that  move  therein,  rise  against  him  to  damn  him, 
unless  he  repent  and  make  full  satisfaction.     Amen." 

This,  it  must  be  confessed  is  bitter  cursings,  though 
exceedingly  "vain,  and  withal  very  profane.  What  ideas 
must  the  pope  have  of  heaven  and  the  powers  that  move 
therein,  that  he  should  venture  to  invoke  them  all  in  this 
tirade  of  curses  against  a  poor  mechanic  respecting  a 
little  alum !  But  the  purpose  for  which  this  specimen  of 
popish  anathemas  was  introduced,  is  to  illustrate  the  per- 
secuting spirit  of  popery,  not  only  for  religion's  sake, 
but  for  filthy  lucre's  sake.  If  the  pope  could  follow  a 
fugitive  laborer  with  such  a  torrent  of  passion  and  ma- 
lice, what  would  the  laborer  have  to  expect  should  he 
fall  into  the  hands  of  this  fiendlike  pope.  And  what 
have  others  to  expect  who  awaken  this  spirit  of  ven- 
geance, but  all  the  cruelty  of  which  human  nature  is 
capable,  and  all  the  tortures  which  human  ingenuity  and 
malice  can  invent  ?  Such  has  been  the  uniform  state  of 
facts,  as  we  shall  perceive  by  recurring  to  the  history  of 
the  proceedings  of  popery  against  its  opponents. 

The  persecuting  spirit  of  popery  was  early  manifested 
towards  those  who  ventured  to  differ  in  sentiment,  how- 
ever peaceable  and  useful  in  other  respects.  But  the 
first  occasion  for  the  general  and  violent  exhibition  of 
this  spirit,  occurred  in  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  centuries, 
when  the  eyes  of  many  people,  particularly  in  France, 
began  to  be  opened  to  perceive  the  idolatry  and  absurdity 
of  the  popish  worship.  They  labored  for  a  long  time 
under  many  disadvantages,  as  the  Latin  Vulgate  transla- 
tion of  the  bible  was  the  only  edition  of  the  scriptures  at 
that  time  in  Europe,  and  very  few  of  the  people  were 
able  to  read  it.  But,  through  some  faint  rays  of  light 
which  they  obtained,  a  multitude  of  persons,  called  at 
first  the  poor  men  of  Lyons,  arrived  at  some  saving  know- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  289 

ledge  of  the  truth,  which  they  maintained  at  every  ha- 
zard and  sacrifice.     At  length  Peter  Waldo  came  for- 
ward, as  an  instrument  in  the  hand  of  God  of  making 
known  more  perfectly  the  truths  of  divine  revelation. 
He  translated,  or  caused  to  be  translated,  the  four  gospels 
into  French,  and  thus  laid  the  foundation  of  a  permanent 
secession  from  popery,  and  sowed  the  seeds  of  a  future 
reformation.     His  followers,  and  those  who  afterwards 
joined  them,  were  called  Waldenses.     But  no  sooner  did 
this  people  begin  to  refer  to  the  scriptures  as  their  stand- 
ard, than  they  were  impelled  to  forsake  the  siiperstitions 
of  popery.     This  raised  against  them  a  storm  of  perse- 
cution.    The  intolerant  spirit  of  popery  could  not  brook 
any  question  concerning  its  infallibility,   and  the  only 
alternative  presented  by  it  was,  entire  submission,  or  in- 
stant  destruction.     The  persecutions  which  the  Wal- 
denses experienced,  and  their  triumphant  death,  as  mar- 
tyrs for  the  truth,  renewed  the  scenes  of  the' second  cen- 
tury, when  pagan  Rome  let  loose  her  malice  against  the 
persecuted  followers  of  Jesus.     Concerning  Waldo  some 
account  has  already  been  given.     A  few  particulars  con- 
cerning the  treatment  his  followers  received  from  papal 
Rome  will  be  appropriate  in  this  place.     In  1181,  the 
pope  issued  a  decree  against  heretics,  which  begins  as 
follows,  viz  :  "  To  abolish  the  malignity  of  diverse  here- 
sies which  are  lately  sprung  up  in  most  parts  of  the  world, 
It  is  but  fitting  that  the  power  committed  to  the  church 
should  be  awakened,  that,  by  the  concurring  assistance 
of  the  imperial  strength,  both  the  insolence  and  mal-pert- 
ness  of  the  heretics,  in  their  false  designs  may  be  crushed, 
and  the  truth  of  catholic  simplicity,  shining  forth  in  the 
holy  church,  may  demonstrate  her  pure,  and  free  from 
the  execrableness  of  their  false   doctrines.     Wherefore 
we,  being  supported  by  the  presence  and  power  of  our  most 
dear  son,  Frederick,  the  most  illustrious  emperor  of  the 
Romans,  always  increaser  of  the  empire,  with  the  common 
advice  and  counsel  of  our  brethren,  and  other  partriarchs, 

25 


290  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

archbishops,  and  many  princes,  who  from  different  parts 
of  the  world  are  met  together,  do  set  themselves  against 
these  heretics,  who  have  got  different  names  from  the 
several  false  doctrines  which  they  profess — by  the  sanc^ 
tion  of  this  present  decree,  and  by  our  apostolical  autho- 
rity, according  to  the  tenor  of  these  presents,  we  condemn 
all  manner  of  heresy,  by  what  name  soever  it  may  be  de- 
nominated.    More  particularly  we  declare  all  Catharists, 
Patorines,    and  those  who  call  themselves  the  poor  of 
Lyons,  the  Passagines,  the  Josephites,  and  the  Arnoldists, 
to  be  under  a  perpetual  anathema.     And  because  some, 
under  a  form  of  godliness,  but  denying  the  power  thereof, 
as  the  apostle  saith,  assume  to  themselves  the  authority 
of  preaching ;  whereas  the  same  apostle  saith,    '  How 
shall  they  preach  except  they  be  sent  ?'     We  therefore 
conclude  under  the  same  sentence  of  a  perpetual  anathe- 
ma, all  those,  who,  either  being  forbid,  or  not  sent,  do 
notwithstanding,  presume  to  preach  publicly  or  privately, 
without  any  authority  derived  from  the  apostolic  see,  or 
from  the  bishops  of  their  respective  diocesses.     As  for 
any  layman,  who  shall  be  found  guilty,  either  publicly  or 
privately,  of  any  of  the  aforesaid  crimes,  (that  is,  preach- 
ing or  speaking  improperly  of  the  sacraments,)  unless  by 
abjuring  his  heresy,  and  making  satisfaction,  he  immedi- 
ately return  to  the  orthodox  faith,  we  decree  him  to  be 
left  to  the  sentence  of  the  secular  judge,  to  receive  con- 
dign punishment,  according  to  the  quality  of  the  offence." 
This  giving  over  into  the  hands  of  the  secular  power, 
was  a  devise  of  popery  by  which  she  attempted  to  con- 
ceal her  own  thirst  for  blood,  by  charging  all  executions 
on  the  secular  arm.     But  the  truth  was,  the  civil  as  well 
as  the  ecclesiastical  power  was  virtually  in  her  hands, 
and  the  secular  magistrate  understood  well  the  conse- 
quence of  neglecting  any  such  intimation  of  the  papal 
pleasure. 

The  king  of  Arragon  so  understood  this  reference  to 
secular  power,  for  he  followed  up  this  decree  of  the  pope 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  291 

by  one  of  his  own,  in  which  he  ordains,  "  that  all  here- 
tics found  in  his  dominions  be  condemned  and  persecuted 
everywhere."  And  that  persons  who  should  receive 
any  of  them  into  their  houses,  or  be  present  at  their  per- 
nicious sermons,  shall  be  punished,  as  if  they  were  actu- 
ally guilty  of  high  treason. 

The  emperor  Frederick  also  published  a  similar 
decree,  concerning  those  that  might  be  found  in  his  do- 
minions. "  The  care  of  the  imperial  government,"  says 
his  majesty,  *'  committed  to  us  from  heaven,  and  over 
which  we  preside,  demands  the  material  sword,  which 
is  given  us  separately  from  the  priesthood,  against  the 
enemies  of  the  faith,  for  the  extirpation  of  heretical  pra- 
vity,  that  we  should  pursue,  with  justice  and  judgment, 
those  vipers  and  perfidious  children,  who  insult  the  Lord 
and  his  church,  as  if  they  would  tear  out  the  bowels  of 
their  mother.  We  shall  not  suffer  these  wretches  to  live, 
who  infest  the  world  by  their  seducing  doctrines,  and 
who,  being  themselves  corrupted,  more  grievously  taint 
the  flock  of  the  faithful."  In  another  decree  the  empe- 
ror accuses  them  of  savage  cruelty  to  themselves.  "  Since 
besides  the  loss  of  their  immortal  souls,  they  expose  their 
bodies  to  a  cruel  death,  being  prodigal  of  their  lives  and 
fearless  of  destruction,  which,  by  acknowledging  the  true 
faith,  they  might  escape,  and  what  is  horrible  to  express, 
their  survivors  are  not  terrified  by  their  example. 
Against  such  enemies  to  God  and  man,  we  cannot  con- 
tain our  indignation,  nor  refuse  to  punish  them  with  the 
sword  of  just  vengeance,  but  shall  pursue  them  with  so 
much  the  greater  vigor  as  they  appear  to  spread  wider 
the  crimes  of  their  superstition,  to  the  most  evident  in- 
jury of  the  Christian  faith,  and  of  the  church  of  Rome, 
which  is  adjudged  to  be  the  head  of  all  churches." 

In  consequence  of  these  papal  and  imperial  edicts,  the 
whole  power  of  popery,  both  ecclesiastical  and  secular, 
was  rallied  against  the  unoffending  people  of  God,  whose 
only  crime  was  that  they  read  and  interpreted  the  word 


292  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

of  God  for  themselves,  and  refused  to  receive  all  the  ab- 
surdity taught  by  the  popish  priesthood.  The  bishops  of 
Mentz  and  Strasburgh  denounced  vengeance  against  all 
heretics  in  their  precincts.  In  the  latter  city  eighty  per- 
sons were  committed  to  the  flames.  The  pope  des- 
patched preachers  throughout  all  Europe  to  engage  his 
followers  in  this  crusade  against  heretics.  He  promised 
paradise,  and  the  remission  of  all  their  sins  to  those  who 
should  serve  forty  days  in  this  holy  warfare.  After 
telling  his  people  that  they  are  not  to  keep  faith  with 
them  that  do  not  keep  faith  with  God,  he  says  :  "  We 
exhort  you  that  you  would  endeavor  to  destroy  the  wicked 
heresy. of  ihe  Albigenses,  and  do  this  with  more  rigor 
than  you  would  use  towards  the  Saracens  themselves ; 
persecute  them  with  a  strong  hand,  deprive  them  of  their 
lands  and  possessions,  banish  them  and  put  catholics  in 
their  room."  The  emissaries  of  the  pope  went  forth 
preaching  for  recruits,  and  their  text  generally  was. 
"  Who  shall  rise  up  for  me  against  the  evil  doers  ;  or 
who  will  stand  up  for  me  against  the  workers  of  ini- 
quity ?"  And  again,  "  If  thou  shalt  hear  say,  in  any  one 
of  thy  cities,  which  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  given  thee,  to 
dwell  there  ;  saying,  let  us  go  and  serve  other  gods  which 
ye  have  not  known,  thou  shalt  smite  the  inhabitants  of 
that  city  with  the  edge  of  the  sword."  By  pervertinc" 
these  passages  of  scripture,  the  pope  and  the  priests  made 
the  people  believe  that  they  were  doing  God  service, 
while  they  imbrued  their  hands  in  the  innocent  blood  of 
their  neighbors.  The  consequence  was,  that  by  the  fire 
and  sword,  those  weapons  of  popery,  in  which  her  great 
strength  lies,  the  armies  employed  by  a  single  pope,  mur- 
dered above  two  hundred  thousand  in  the  space  of  a  few 
months.  This  work  of  extirpation  was  continued  for 
many  years,  and,  the  strength  of  Europe  was  exhausted 
in  destroying  her  best  population.  For  even  their  ene- 
mies bear  testimony,  that  the  Waldenses  and  Albigenses 
were  peaceable,  industrious,  and  moral  citizens.     Even 


HISTORY    OF    POPERV.  293 

an  inquisitor,  who  wrote  against  them,  was  constrained  to 
make  the  following  concession.  "  These  heretics  are 
known  by  their  manners  and  conversation,  for  they  are 
modest  and  orderly  in  their  behaviour  and  deportment. 
They  avoid  all  appearance  of  pride  in  their  dress,  they 
neither  indulge  in  finery  of  attire,  nor  are  they  remarka- 
ble for  being  mean  and  ragged.  They  avoid  commerce, 
that  they  may  be  free  from  deceit  and  falsehood.  They 
obtain  their  livelihood  by  manual  industry,  as  day  labo- 
rers or  mechanics,  and  their  teachers  are  weavers  or 
tailors.  They  are  not  anxious  about  amassing  riches, 
but  content  themselves  with  the  necessaries  of  life.  They 
are  chaste,  temperate  and  sober.  They  abstain  from 
anger.  Even  when  they  work  :hey  either  learn  or 
teach.  -  In  like  manner  also  their  women  are  very 
modest,  avoiding  backbiting,  foolish  jesting,  and  levity  of 
speech,  especially  abstaining  from  lies  or  swearing,  not 
so  much  as  making  use  of  the  common  asseverations, 
'  in  truth,'  'for  certain,^-  or  the  like,  because  they  regard 
these  as  oaths, — contenting  themselves  with  simply 
answering  yes  or  no  T^ 

The  archbishop  of  Tunn,  also  says  of  these  men, 
"  Their  heresy  excepted,  tney  generally  live  a  purer  life 
than  other  Christians,  in  their  lives  and  morals  they 
are  perfect,  irreprehecsible,  and  without  reproach  among 
men,  addicting  then^selves  with  all  their  might  to  the  ser- 
vice of  God."  A  Dominican  also,  speaking  of  the  Wal- 
denses  of  Bohemia,  says,  "I  say  that  in  morals  and  life 
they  are  good,  true  in  words,  unanimous  in  brotherly 
love,  but  their  faith  is  incorrigible  and  vile,  as  I  have 
shewn  in  my  treatise."  A  Franciscan  friar,  speaking  of 
them,  explicitly  confesses  in  what  respect  their  faith  was 
incorrigible  and  vile,  when  he  says,  "  that  all  the  errors 
of  the  Waldenses  consisted  in  this,  that  they  denied  the 
church  of  Rome  to  be  the  holy  mother  church,  and  would 
not  obey  her  traditions."  In  the  time  of  the  hottest  per- 
secution of  the  Waldenses,  in  certain  provinces  of  France, 

25* 


294  HIStORY    OF    POPERt. 

a  certain  monk  was  deputed  by  a  bishop  to  hold  a  confe- 
rence with  them,  that  they  might  be  convinced  of  their 
errors,  and  the  further  effusion  of  blood  prevented.     But 
the  monk  returned  in  confusion,   owning,   that   in  his 
whole  life  he  had  never  known  so  much  of  the  scriptures, 
as  he  had  learned  during  those  few  days,  that  he  had 
been  conversing  with  the  heretics."     The  bishop,  how- 
ever sent  among  them  a  number  of  doctors,  young  men 
who  had  lately  come  from  the  Sorbonne,  which  at  that 
time  was  the- great  school  of  popish  subtlety.     One  of 
these  publicly  ow^ied  that  he  had  understood  more  of  the 
doctrine  of  salvatioa  from  the  answers  of  the  children  in 
their  catechisms,  thau  from  all  the  disputations  which  he 
had  ever  before  heard.   These  testimonials  are  conclusive 
as  to  the  moral  character  of  these  victims  of  popish  per- 
secution.    And  they  are  the  more  important  to  be  known, 
because  the  papists  of  latter  times  have  endeavored  with- 
out ceasing  to  blacken  ihe  characters  of  these  people,  and 
to  accuse  them  of  various  enormities  and  immoralities,  that 
thereby  they  might  conceal  the  true  cause  of  their  unrelen- 
ting persecution.    But  the  testimony  of  all  credible  history 
is  on  the  other  side,  and  shew*;;  their  only  offence  to  have 
been,  a  refusal  to  submit  to  th%  pope.     For  this  crime 
they  were  hunted  like  wild  beasts.,  they  were  driven  from 
their  homes  to  suffer  with  famine  a^d  nakedness  ;  and  in 
great  numbers  they  were  destroyed  hy  fire  and  sword. 
The  following  as  one  of  a  thousand  examples  of  equally 
refined  cruelty  may  serve  as  an  illc^stration, — "  About  the 
year   1400,  a   violent  outrage  was  ^.ommitted  upon  the 
Waldenses,  who  inhabited  the  valley  of  Pragella  in  Pied- 
mont, by  the  popish  party  resident  in  the  neighborhood. 
The  attack,  which  seems  to  have  been  of  the  most  furious 
kind,  was  made  towards  the  end  of  the  month  of  Decem- 
ber, when  the  mountains  were  covered  with  snow,  and 
thereby  rendered  difficult  of  access,  so  that  the  inhabitants 
of  the  valleys  were  wholly  unapprised  that  any  such 
attempt  was  meditated,  and  the  persecutors  were  in  actual 


HISTORY    OF    POPERV.  295 

possession  of  their  caves,  before  they  seem  to  have  been 
apprised  of  any  hostile  designs  against  them.     In  this 
pitiable  plight,  they  had  recourse  to  the  only  alternative 
which  remained  of  saving  their  lives.     They  fled  to  one 
of  the  highest  mountains  of  the  Alps,  with  their  wives 
and  children  ;  the  unhappy  mothers  carrying  the  cradle 
in  one  hand,  and  in   the   other  leading  such  of  their 
offspring  as  were  able  to  walk.    Their  inhuman  invaders, 
whose  feet  were  swift  to  shed  blood,  pursued  them  in  their 
flight,  until  night  came  on,  and  slew  great  numbers  of 
them  before  they  could  reach  the  mountains.    Those  who 
escaped  however,  were  reserved  to  experience  a  fate  not 
more  enviable.     Overtaken  by  the  shades  of  night,  they 
wandered  up  and  down  the  mountains,  covered  with  snow, 
destitute  of  the  means  of  shelter,  or  of  supporting  them- 
selves by  any  of  those  comforts  which  Providence  has 
destined  for  that  purpose  ;  benumbed  with  cold,  they  fell 
an  easy  prey  to  the  severity  of  the  climate,  and  when  the 
night  had  passed  away,  there  were  found,  in  their  cradles 
or  lying  on  the  snow,  fourscore  of  their  infants  deprived 
of  life,  many  of  the  mothers  also  lying  dead  by  their  sides, 
and  others  just  upon  the  point  of  expiring."     But  it  may 
be  said  perhaps,  why  bring  these  things  which  Avere  done 
by  papists   hundreds  of  years  ago,  against  those  of  the 
present  day?     The  answer  is,  because  papists  now  justify 
all  that  has  been  done  by  their  predecessors.     They  must 
do  so,  if  they  adhere  to  the  principle  of  papal  infallibility. 
If  they  would  come  forv/ard  and  frankly  condemn  what 
their  predecessors  have  done  that  is  wrong,  no  one  w^ould 
consider  the  present  generation  responsible.     But  while 
papists,  though  they  have  not  the  power  to  do  so  now, 
pertinaciously  defend  such  wholesale  murder  as  has  been 
perpetrated  by  their  community,  while  they  say  it  was  all 
right  and  proper,  all  according  to   duty  to  exterminate 
those  who  differ  from  them,  they  must  submit  to  be  held 
responsible  for  the  principle,  and  to  be  considered  as 
restrained  from  such  proceedings  at  the  present  day,  only 


396  HISTORY  or  poperv. 

by  the  stern  hand  of  necessity.  Those  that  will  justify 
these  murders,  would,  if  they  had  the  opportunity,  com- 
mit them.  This  is  a  conclusion  sanctioned  by  our 
Saviour  when  he  says,  "  Woe  unto  you  Scribes  and 
Pharisees,  hypocrites,  because  ye  build  the  tombs  of 
the  prophets,  and  garnish  the  sepulchres  of  the  righteous, 
and  say,  if  we  had  been  in  the  days  of  our  fathers,  we 
would,  not  have  been  partakers  with  them  in  the  blood  of 
the  prophets,  wherefore  ye  be  witnesses  unto  yourselves, 
that  ye  are  the  children  of  them  which  kill  the  prophets. — 
That  upon  you  may  come  all  the  righteous  blood  shed  upon 
the  earth,  from  the  blood  of  righteous  Abel  unto  the  blood 
of  Zacharias  the  son  of  Barachias  whom  ye  slew  between 
the  temple  and  the  altar. "^ — Let  papists  condemn  the 
pope  and  his  legions  for  the  innocent  blood  which  they 
have  shed,  and  then  they  ma)-  hope  to  escape  the  impu- 
tation. But  who  ever  heard  a  papist  utter  the  most 
distant  intimation  that  the  pope,  whose  hands  are  stained, 
and  whose  garments  are  crimsoned  with  the  blood  of 
martyrs,  ever  did,  or  ever  can  do  wrong. 

With  this  exposition  of  the  propriety  of  drawing  testi- 
mony to  the  persecuting  spirit  of  popery,  from  former  and 
distant  events  in  view,  we  proceed  in  the  narration  of 
particular  facts. 

In  the  twelfth  century  some  of  the  true  disciples  of 
Christ  fled  to  Britain,  from  the  persecutions  of  Germany. 
But  they  found  no  relief.  The  popish  rulers  of  England 
were  actuated  by  the  same  spirit  with  their  brethren  in 
Germany  and  France.  A  council  was  called  by  the 
king  to  meet  at  Oxford,  to  try  these  heretics,  whose 
number  amounted  to  no  more  than  about  thirty.  They 
were  condemned  by  the  haughty  prelates  of  popery,  they 
were  branded  on  the  forehead,  publicly  whipped  out  of 
the  town  where  they  dwelt,  and  being  turned  into  the 
fields  in  the  depth  of  winter,  wh^n  all  were  forbidden  to 
relieve  them,  they  perished.  Even  their  enemies  allow 
that  they  behaved  with  great  calmness  and  moderation, 


HiStORV    or    POPERY.  297 

and  when  the  inhuman  sentence  was  executed  upon  them, 
they  sang,  "Blessed  are  ye  when  men  shall  hate  vou  and 
persecute  you."  At  Glasgow^  in  Scotland,  in  1422,  James 
Betby  was  burnt,  for  denying  that  the  pope  was  Christ's 
vicar.  In  1431,  Paul  Craw,  a  Bohemian,  apprehended 
in  the  university  of  St.  Andrews,  suffered  death  there. 
His  enemies  put  a  ball  of  brass  into  his  mouth,  that  what 
he  said  for  the  truth  in  his  last  moments,  might  not  be 
heard  by  the  people.  Under  archbishop  Beaton,  the  first 
who  was  called  to  suffer  was  Mr.  Patrick  Hamilton, 
abbot  of  Perm,  a  man  nobly  descended,  and  not  much 
past  twenty-three  yeajs  of  age.  This  young  man 
had  travelled  in  Germany,  and  falling  into  familiarity 
with  Luther,  and  other  reformers,  was  by  them 
instructed  in  the  knowledge  of  true  religion.  In 
this  he  \vas  so  well  established  and  so  happ)^  that  he 
determined  to  return  to  his  country  and  communicate^the 
knowledge  he  had  obtained.  .  On  his  return  he  spared 
not  to  expose  the  corruptions  of  the  Roman  church, 
wherever  he  came.  The  popish  clergy,  offended  at  this, 
under  pretence  of  a  conference,  enticed  him  to  the  city 
of  St.  Andrews,  and  when  he  came  there  they  appointed 
friar  Campbell  to  keep  company  with  him,  and  to  endea- 
vour to  draw  him  from  the  opinions  he  had  adopted. 
After  staying  in  the  city  several  days,  where  he  suspected 
no  evil,  he  was  one  night  seized  while  in  bed,  and  carried 
prisoner  to  the  castle.  The  next  day  he  was  brought 
before  the  bishop,  andaccused  of  maintainmgthe  doctrines 
substantially  of  the  reformation.  Confessing  that  he  held 
some  of  them  as  undoubted  truth,  he  was- put  on  trial, 
condemned  as  a  heretic,  and  delivered  over  to  the  secular 
power.  The  same  day,  (for  the  execution  was  hastened 
lest  the  king,  who  was  then  absent,  should  return  and 
interfere)  he  was  condemned  by  the  secular  judge,  and  in 
the  afternoon  led  to  his  place  of  suffering,  which  was 
appointed  to  be  at  the  gate  of  St.  Salvator's  college. 
Being  come  to  the  place  he  put  off  his  outer  garments, 


298  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

and  gave  them  to  his  servant,  saying,  "  I  have  no  more 
to  leave  thee  but  the  ensample  of  my  death,  which  I  pray 
thee  keep  in  mind.  For  though  the  same  be  bitter  and 
painful  in  man's  judgment,  yet  it  is  the  entrance  to 
everlasting  life,  which  none  can  inherit  who  denieth 
Christ."  Then  was  he  tied  to  the  stake,  about  it  a  great 
quantity  of  coal,  wood  and  other  combustible  matter  was 
heaped,  whereof  he  had  no  fear,  but  seriously  commend- 
ing his  soul  into  the  hands  of  God,  he  held  his  eyes  fixed 
towards  heaven.  The  friars  all  the  while  were  vexing 
him  with  their  cries,  bidding  him  to  turn,  and  pray  to 
the  virgin  Mary.  Among  them  none  was  more  trou- 
blesome than  friar  Campbell,  who  kept  company  with 
him  when  he  first  came  to  the  city.  Often  he  besought 
him  to  depart  and  not  to  vex  him,  but  when  the  friar 
would  not  cease  his  crying,  the  martyr  said,  "  wicked 
man  thou  knowest  that  I  am  not  an  heretic,  and  that  it  is 
the  truth  of  God  for  which  I  now  suflfer,  so  much  thou 
didst  confess  to  me  in  private,  therefore  I  appeal  thee  to 
answer  before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ."  By  this 
time  the  fire  was  kindled,  after  which  with  a  loud  voice 
he  was  heard  to  say,  "  How  long  O  Lord,  shall  darkness 
oppress  this  realm  ?  How  long  wilt  thou  suffer  this 
tyranny  of  men,"  and  then  he  closed  with  these  words, 
"  Lord  Jesus  receive  my  spirit."  His  body  was  quickly 
consumed,  for  the  fire  was  vehement,  but  the  patience 
and  constancy  he  shewed  in  his  dying,  stirred  up  such 
compassion  in  the  beholders,  as  many  of  them  doubted 
not  to  say  that  he  suffered  an  innocent,  and  was  indeed  a 
martyr  of  Christ. 

Soon  after  the  above  execution,  one  Henry  Forrest  was 
apprehended  for  saying  that  Mr.  Patrick  Hamilton  died 
a  martyr.  He  was  brought  to  St.  Andrews,  but  because 
the  proof  was  not  clear,  a  certain  friar  was  appointed  to 
confess  him.  The  simple  man,  thinking  no  harm,  being 
asked  by  the  confessor  what  was  his  opinion  of  Mr.  Ha- 
mihon,  answered  that  he  thought  him  to  be  a  good  man, 


HISTORY    OF    POPERV.  299 

and  that  the  articles  for  which  he  was  condemned  might 
well  be  defended.  This  confession  the  friar  disclosed, 
and  it  was  taken  as  evidence,  and  the  poor  man  was  forth- 
with condemned  to  be  burnt  as  an  heretic.  As  he  was 
led  out,  he  complained  grievously  of  the  friar  who  had 
betrayed  him,  crying  out,  "Fie  on  falsehood!  Fie  on 
false  friars,  revealers  of  confession  !  Never  let  any  man 
trust  them  after  me.  They  are  despisers  of  God,  and 
deceivers  of  men."  While  they  were  consulting  on  the 
manner  of  his  execution,  one  John  Lindsay,  a  plain  man, 
who  attended  the  bishop,  gave  advice  to  burn  him  in  some 
hollow  cellar ;  "  for  the  smoke,"  said  he,  "  of  Patrick 
Hamilton,  hath  infected  all  those  on  whom  it  blew." 

About  the  year  1543,  there  was  in  the  university  of 
Cambridge  one  Mr.  George  Wishart,  who  was  born  in 
Scotland  ;  and  after  having  received  a  grammatical  edu- 
cation at  a  private  school,  finished  his  studies  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Cambridge.  He  was  a  modest,  temperate 
man,  fearing  God  and  hating  covetousness.  Being  de- 
sirous of  propagating  the  true  gospel  in  his  own  country, 
he  left  Cambridge  in  1544;  and  in  his  way  to  Scotland, 
preached  in  most  of  the  principal  towns  to  the  great  sa- 
tisfaction of  his  hearers.  On  his  arrival  in  his  native- 
land,  he  first  preached  at  Montrose,  and  afterwards  at 
Dundee.  In  this  last  place  he  made  an  exposition  of  the 
epistle  to  the  Romans,  which  he  went  through  with  so 
much  grace  and  eloquence,  as  delighted  the  reformers 
and  alarmed  the  papists.  In  consequence  of  this  exposi- 
tion, one  Robert  Miln,  a  principal  man  of  Dundee,  went 
by  command  of  cardinal  Beaton,  to  the  church  where 
Wishart  preached,  and  in  the  midst  of  his  discourse  pub- 
licly told  him,  "not  to  trouble  the  town  any  more,  for  he 
was  determined  not  to  suffer  it."  This  treatment  greatly 
surprised  the  preacher  ;  and  after  bearing  suitable  testi- 
mony to  the  truth  and  against  such  proceedings,  he  left 
the  pulpit  and  departed.  He  then  went  into  the  west  of 
Scotland,  where  he  preached  the  word  of  God,  and  was 


300  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

gladly  received  by  many.  But  here  he  was  interrupted 
again  by  order  of  the  popish  cardinal.  But  the  preacher 
of  Christ  went  to  the  market-cross,  where  he  preached 
to  the  great  satisfaction  of  his  hearers,  and  the  confusion 
of  his  enemies.  Cardinal  Beaton  became  so  exasperated 
by  his  popularity,  that  he  was  determined  to  have  him 
taken  out  of  his  way.  This  he  attempted  at  first  by  se- 
cret assassination.  Before  Wishart  left  Dundee  the  se- 
cond time,  a  desperate  popish  priest,  named  John  Weigh- 
ton,  was  engaged  to  kill  him,  which  was  attempted  as 
follows  : — After  sermon,  on  a  certain  day,  Mr.  Wishart 
vv^as  about  stepping  out  of  the  pulpit,  when  he  discovered 
at  the  bottom  of  the  stairs  this  priest,  with  a  dagger  under 
his  cloak,  waiting  for  him  to  come  within  his  reach.  Mr. 
Wishart  cautiously  approached,  and  saying,  "  My  friend, 
what  would  you  have  ?"  he  clapped  his  hand  upon  the 
dagger  suddenly,  and  took  it  from  the  priest.  He  being 
terrified,  fell  upon  his  knees,  confessed  his  object,  and 
begged  pardon.  A  noise  being  raised,  the  populace 
were  ready  to  tear  the  assassin  in  pieces.  But  Mr.  Wis- 
hart defended  him,  and  brought  him  off.  Soon  after  this, 
on  his  return  to  Montrose,  the  cardinal  caused  a  letter  to 
be  conveyed  to  him,  purporting  to  be  from  an  intimate 
friend,  who  begged  him  to  come  to  him  without  delay,  as 
he  was  dangerously  sick.  Mr.  Wishart  commenced  his 
journey,  but  suspecting  some  treachery,  he  turned  back, 
and'thus  his,  life  was  saved,  for  a  number  of  armed  men 
were  concealed  by  the  wayside  to  take  his  life.  When 
the  discovery  of  the  ambush  was  made,  Mr.  Wishart  re- 
marked, "  I  know  I  shall  end  my  life  by  that  bloody 
man's  hands,  but  not  in  this  manner."  After  this,  cardi- 
nal Beaton  being  informed  that  Mr.  Wishart  was  at  the 
house  of  Mr.  Cockburn,  of  Ormiston,  in  East  Lothian, 
applied  to  the  regent  to  have  him  apprehended.  The 
earl  accordingly  went,  with  proper  attendants,  to  the 
house  of  Mr.  Cockburn,  which  he  beset  about  midnight. 
The  master  of  the  house  being  alarmed,  put  himself  in  a 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  301 

posture  of  defence,  when  the  earl  told  him  it  was  in  vain 
to  resist,  as  sufficient  force  was  at  hand.  But  if  he  would 
deliver  Mr.  Wishart,  he  would  promise  upon  his  honor 
that  he  should  be  safe,  and  that  the  cardinal  should  not 
hurt  him.  Wishart  immediately  said,  "  Open  the  gates, 
God's  will  be  done."  Bothwell  coming  in,  Wishart  said 
to  him,  "  I  praise  my  God  that  so  honorable  a  man  as 
you,  my  lord,  receive  me  this  night ;  for  I  am  persuaded 
that  for  your  honor's  sake,  you  will  suffer  nothing  to  be 
done  to  me  but  by  order  of  law ;  I  fear  less  to  die  openly, 
than  secretly  to  be  murdered."  Bothwell  replied,  "  I 
will  not  only  preserve  your  body  from  violence  that  shall 
be  intended  against  you  without  order  of  law,  but  I  also 
promise,  in  the  presence  of  these  gentlemen,  that  neither 
the  governor  nor  cardinal  shall  have  their  will  of  you ; 
but  I  will  keep  you  in  my  own  house,  until  I  either  set 
you  free,  or  restore  you  to  the  same  place  where  I  receive 
you."  This  agreement  being  made,  Mr.  Wishart  was 
delivered  into  the  hands  of  the  earl,  who  immediately 
conducted  him  to  Edinburgh.  As  soon  as  the  earl  ar- 
rived at  that  place,  he  was  sent  for  by  the  queen,  who, 
being  an  inveterate  enemy  to  Wishart,  prevailed  on  the 
earl,  notwithstanding  the  promises  he  had  made,  to  com- 
mit him  a  prisoner  to  the  castle.  Cardinal  Beaton  being 
informed  of  Wishart's  situation,  went  to  Edinburgh,  and 
immediately  caused  him  to  be  removed  to  the  castle  of 
St.  Andrews.  The  inveterate  and  persecuting  prelate 
having  now  got  our  martyr  fully  at  his  disposal,  resolved 
to  proceed  immediately  to  try  him  as  an  heretic.  For  this 
purpose  he  assembled  the  prelates  at  St.  Andrews'  church, 
February  27,  1546.  At  this  meeting  the  archbishop  of 
Glasgow  gave  it  as  his  opinion,  that  application  should 
be  made  to  the  regent,  to  grant  a  commission  to  some 
noblemen  to  try  the  prisoner,  that  all  odium  of  putting 
so  popular  a  man  to  death  might  not  lie  on  the  clergy. 
To  this  the  cardinal  readily  agreed.  But  on  sending  to 
the  regent,  he  received  the  following  answer  : — "  That 

26 


302  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

he  would  do  well  not  to  hasten  this  man's  trial,  but  delay- 
it  until  his  coming ;  for  as  to  himself,  he  would  not  con- 
sent to  his  death  before  the  cause  was  well  examined ; 
and  if  the  cardinal  should  do  otherwise,  he  would  make 
protestation,  that  the  blood  of  this  man  should  be  required 
at  his  hands."  The  cardinal  was  extremely  chagrined 
at  this  message  from  the  regent ;  however,  he  determined 
to  proceed  in  the  bloody  work  which  he  had  undertaken, 
and  therefore  sent  the  regent  word  that  he  had  not  writ- 
ten to  him  about  this  matter  because  he  was  in  any  way 
dependant  on  his  authority,  but  from  a  desire  that  the 
prosecution  and  conviction  of  heretics  might  have  a  show 
of  public  consent ;  which,  since  he  could  not  this  way 
obtain,  he  would  proceed  in  that  way  which  to  him  ap- 
peared most  proper.  In  consequence  of  this,  the  cardinal 
immediately  proceeded  to  the  trial  of  Wishart,  against 
whom  no  less  than  eighteen  articles  were  exhibited,  which 
were  in  substance  as  follows,  viz  : — "  That  he  had  tie- 
spised  the  holy  mother  church,  had  deceived  the  people, 
had  ridiculed  the  mass,  had  preached  against  the  sacra- 
ments, saying  there  were  not  seven  but  two  only,  viz. 
baptism,  and  the  supper  of  the  Lord ;  that  he  had  preached 
against  confession  to  a  priest ;  had  denied  transubstantia- 
tion  and  extreme  unction  ;  would  not  admit  the  authority 
of  the  pope  or  of  councils ;  allowed  the  eating  of  flesh 
on  Friday ;  condemned  the  prayers  to  saints  ;  spoke 
against  the  vows  of  monks,  saying  that  whosoever  was 
bound  by  such  vows,  had  vowed  themselves  to  the  state 
of  damnation,  and  that  it  was  lawful  for  priests  to  mar- 
ry ;  and  finally,  that  he  had  avowed  his  disbelief  of  pur- 
gatory." Mr.  Wishart  answered  these  several  charges 
with  great  composure  of  mind,  and  in  so  learned  and  clear 
a  manner,  as  surprised  those  present.  A  bigotted  priest 
named  Lauder,  at  the  instigation  of  the  archbishop,  not 
only  heaped  a  load  of  curses  upon  him,  but  treated  him 
with  the  most  barbarous  contempt,  calling  him  renegade, 
false  heretic,  traitor,  and  thief;  and  not  satisfied  with 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  303 

that,  spit  in  his  face,  and  otherwise  maltreated  him.  On 
this  Mr.  Wishart  fell  on  his  knees,  and  after  making  a 
prayer  to  God,  thus  addressed  his  judges  : — "  Many  and 
horrible  sayings  unto  me,  a  Christian  man,  many  words 
abominable  to  hear,  have  ye  spoken  here  this  day  ;  which 
not  only  to  teach,  but  even  to  think,  I  ever  thought  a 
great  abomination."  After  the  examination  was  finished, 
the  archbishop  attempted  to  prevail  on  Mr.  Wishart  to 
recant,  but  he  was  too  firmly  fixed  in  his  religious  prin- 
ciples, and  too  much  enlightened  in  the  truth  of  the  gos- 
pel, to  be  in  the  least  moved.  In  consequence  of  this, 
the  archbishop  pronounced  on  him  the  dreadful  sentence 
of  death,  which  he  ordered  should  be  put  into  execution 
the  next  day.  As  soon  as  this  cruel  and  melancholy 
ceremony  was  finished,  our  martyr  fell  on  his  knees, 
and  thus  exclaimed  : — "  O  immortal  God  !  how  long  wilt 
thou  suffer  the  rage  and  great  cruelty  of  the  ungodly  to 
exercise  their  fury  upon  thy  servants,  which  do  further 
thy  word  in  this  world  ?  Whereas,  they  on  the  contrary 
seek  to  destroy  the  truth,  whereby  thou  hast  revealed  thy- 
self to  the  world.  O  Lord  !  we  know  certainly  that  thy 
true  servants  must  needs  suffer,  for  thy  name's  sake,  per- 
secutions, afflictions,  and  troubles,  in  this  present  world ; 
yet  we  desire  that  thou  wouldst  preserve  and  defend  thy 
church,  which  thou  hast  chosen  before  the  foundation  of 
the  world,  and  give  thy  people  grace  to  hear  thy  word, 
and  to  be  thy  true  servants  in  this  present  life."  Having 
said  this  he  arose,  and  was  immediately  conducted  by  the 
officers  to  the  prison  from  which  he  had  been  brought  in 
the  castle.  In  the  evening  he  was  visited  by  two  friars, 
who  told  him  he  must  make  his  confession  to  them ;  to 
whom  he  replied,  "  I  will  not  make  any  confession  to 
you  ;"  on  which  they  immediately  departed.  Soon  after 
this  came  the  sub-prior,  with  whom  Wishart  conversed 
in  so  feeling  a  manner  on  religious  subjects,  as  to  make 
him  weep.  When  this  man  left  him,  he  w^ent  to  the  car- 
dinal, and  told  him  he  carne  not  to  intercede  for  the  pri- 


304  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

soner's  life,  but  to  make  known  his  innocence  to  all  men. 
At  these  words  the  cardinal  expressed  great  dissatisfac- 
tion, and  forbid  the  sub-prior  from  visiting  the  martyr  any 
more.  On  the  morning  of  his  execution,  there  came  to 
him  two  friars  from  the  cardinal,  one  of  whom  put  on 
him  a  black  linen  coat,  and  the  other  brought  several 
bags  of  gunpowder,  which  they  ti'ed  about  different  parts 
of  his  body.  The  windows  and  balconies  of  the  castle 
opposite  the  place  where  he  was  to  suffer,  were  hung 
with  tapestry  and  silk  hangings,  Avith  cushions  for  the 
cardinal  and  his  train,  who  were  from  thence  to  feast 
their  eyes  with  the  torments  of  this  innocent  man.  There 
was  also  a  large  guard  of  soldiers,  not  so  much  to  secure 
the  execution,  as  to  show  a  vain  ostentation  of  power^ 
besides  which,  cannon  were  placed  on  different  parts  of 
the  castle.  All  the  preparations  being  completed,  Wis- 
hart,  after  having  his  hands  tied  behind  him,  w^as  con- 
ducted to  the  fatal  spot.  In  his  w^ay  thither  he  was  ac- 
costed by  two  friars,  who  desired  him  to  pray  to  the  vir- 
gin Mary  to  intercede  for  him  :  to  whom  he  meekly  re- 
plied, "  Cease  !  tempt  me  not,  I  entreat  you."  As  soon 
as  he  arrived  at  the  stake,  the  executioner  put  a  rope 
around  his  neck,  and  a  chain  about  his  middle ;  upon 
which  he  fell  on  his  knees,  and  thus  exclaimed : — "  O 
thou  Saviour  of  the  world,  have  mercy  upon  me  !  Fa- 
ther of  heaven,  I  commend  my  spirit  into  thy  holy 
hands."  After  repeating  these  words  three  times,  he 
arose,  and  turning  himself  to  the  spectators,  addressed 
them  as  follows  : — *'  Christian  brethren  and  sisters,  I  be- 
seech you  be  not  offended  at  the  word  of  God  for  the  tor- 
ments which  you  see  prepared  for  nie ;  but  I  exhort  you 
that  ye  love  the  word  of  God  for  your  salvation,  and  suf- 
fer patiently  and  with  a  comfortable  heart  for  the  word's 
sake,  which  is  your  undoubted  salvation  and  everlasting 
comfort."  After  this  he  prayed  for  his  accusers,  saying, 
"  I  beseech  thee,  Father  of  heaven,  forgive  them  that, 
from  ignorance  or  an  evil  mind,  forged  lies  of  me.     I 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  305 

forgive  ihem  with  all  my  heart.  I  beseech  Christ  to  for- 
give them  that  have  ignorantly  condemned  me."  As 
soon  as  he  had  finished  his  speech,  the  executioner  fell 
on  his  knees  before  him,  and  said,  '*  Sir,  I  pray  yoa  for- 
give me,  for  I  am  not  the  cause  of  your  death."  In  re- 
turn to  this,  Mr.  Wishart  took  the  man  cordially  by  the 
hand,  and  kissed  him,  saying,  "  Lo  !  here  is  a  token  that 
I  forgive  thee  my  hurt,  do  thine  office."  He  was  then 
fastened  to  the  stake,  and  the  faggots  being  lighted,  imme- 
diately set  fire  to  the  powder  that  was  tied  about  him,  and 
which  blew  into  a  flame  and  smoke.  The  governor  of 
the  castle,  who  stood  so  near  that  he  was  singed  with  the 
flame,  exhorted  our  martyr,  in  a  few  words,  to  be  of  good 
cheer,  and  to  ask  pardon  of  God  for  his  offences.  To 
which  he  replied,  •'  This  flame  hath  occasioned  trouble 
indeed  to  my  body,  but  it  hath  in  no  wise  broken  ray  spi- 
rit. But  he  who  now  so  proudly  looks  down  upon  me 
from  yonder  lofty  place,  (pointing  to  the  cardinal,)  shall 
ere  long  be  as  ignominiously  thrown  down,  as  he  now 
proudly  lolls  at  his  ease."  AVhen  he  had  said  this,  the 
executioner  pulled  the  rope  which  was  about  his  neck 
with  great  violence,  so  that  he  was  soon  strangled,  and 
the  fire  gaining  strength,  burnt  with  such  great  rapidity, 
that  in  less  than  an  hour  his  body  was  totally  consumed. 
Thus  died,  in  confirmation  of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  a  sin- 
cere believer,  whose  fortitude  and  constancy  during  his 
sufferings  can  only  be  imputed  to  the  support  of  divine 
grace,  in  order  to  fulfil  that  memorable  promise,  "  As  is 
thy  day,  so  shall  thy  strength  be,"  and  whose  death  is  a 
lasting  monunient  of  the  persecuting  spirit  of  popery." 

The  reign  of  bloody  queen  Mary  is  proverbial,  and  a 
blot  on  tlie  page  of  history,  while  it  illustrates  the  true 
spirit  of  popery.  After  destroying  those  who  had  sinned 
politically  by  espousing  the  cause  of  Jane  Grey ;  she 
next  turned  her  hand,  by  the  instigation  of  her  popish 
advisers,  against  the  faithful  servants  of  the  Lord.  The 
first  martyr  was  the  Rev.  John  Roarers,  minister  of  St. 

26* 


306  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

Sepulchre's  church.     The  crime  of  Mr.  Rogers  was  that 
he  had  assisted  in  giving  a  translation  of  the  bible  to  the 
people.     He  was  a  zealous  preacher  of  the  truth,  and  an 
opponent  of  popery.     Consequently  he  was  arraigned, 
condemned  and  burnt.     When  on  his  w^ay  to  execution 
he  was  asked  by  the  sheriff  "  if  he  would  recant  his 
opinions" —  He  replied,     "  what  he   had   preached   he 
would  seal  with  his  blood."     "  Then"   said  the  sheriff, 
"  thou  art  an  heretic."     To  which  Mr.  Rogers  answered, 
"  that  will  be  known  when  we  meet  at  the  judgment  seat 
of  Christ"     After  the  death  of  John  Rogers  followed  that 
of  Hooper,  Taylor,  Ridley,   Latimer,  Cranmer,  and  a 
multitude  of  others,  men  of  eminent  talents  and  pure  lives, 
who  fell  victims    to  the  bigotry  and  cruelty  of  bloody 
Mary  and  her  popish  advisers,   Gardiner  and  Bonner. 
The  particulars  in  this  dismal  history  would  exceed  the 
limits  of  the  present  work.     Suffice  it  to  say,  they  are  of 
the  same  kind  with  those  already  stated.     All  the  inven- 
tion of  man  was  put  in  requisition  to  find  out  and  refine 
cruelties  for  those  who  refused  to  bow  to  the  pope. 

But  after  all  these  efforts  of  cruelty  and  malice,  those 
who  dissented  from  popery  continued  to  increase  and 
spread  on  every  side.  Some  more  effectual  measures 
therefore  became  necessary  for  the  extirpation  of  heretics. 
The  device  of  popery  to  meet  this  exigency,  was  the  in- 
quisition, the  rise  and  character  of  which  have  been 
already  narrated.  It  remains  however  to  give  some  ac- 
count of  the  inquisition  as  an  engine  of  persecution,  for 
in  this  respect  it  stands  pre-eminent.  Persecution  was 
the  field  of  its  glory,  and  all  its  emblems  are  dyed  in 
blood. 

In  the  year  1714,  Mr.  Isaac  Martin,  an  English  pro- 
testant  merchant  resident  at  Malaga,  was  arrested  by  or- 
der of  the  inquisition,  on  charge  of  being  a  Jew.  The 
grounds  of  this  charge  were,  that  his  own  name  was 
Isaac,  and  he  had  a  son  named  Abraham.  This  charge 
he  answered,  by  assuring  the  papists  that  he  was  an 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  307 

Englishman.  Moreover,  he  told  them  that  Abraham 
and  Isaac  were  not  Jews,  but  patriarchs  who  lived  long- 
before  the  term  Jew  was  ever  used.  But  the  inquisitors 
would  believe  neither  one  nor  the  other  plea.  Percei- 
ving himself  beset,  he  came  to  the  resolution  to  leave  the 
place  with  his  family.  This  became  known,  and  one 
night  about  9  o'clock,  he  heard  a  loud-  knocking  at  his 
door.  He  inquired  who  was  there,  when  entrance  was 
demanded,  which  he  refused,  desiring  the  persons  with- 
out, to  come  next  day.  But  the  doors  were  immediately 
broken  open,  and  about  fifteen  persons  entered  attended 
by  a  commissioner  of  the  holy  office.  Mr.  Martin  spoke 
of  going  to  the  English  consul,  but  they  told  him  the 
consul  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  business.  He  was 
now  arrested  on  the  charge  of  being  an  heretic.  His 
books  and  papers  were  seized,  his  watch,  money  and 
other  things  taken  from  him,  and  he  carried  to  the  bish- 
op's prison,  and  a  pair  of  heavy  fetters  put  on  him.  His 
family,  in  the  deepest  distress,  was  turned  out  of  doors, 
until  the  house  was  stripped.  About  four  days  after  his 
confinement  he  was  told  he  must  go  to  Grenada  to  be 
tried.  He  earnestly  begged  to  see  his  wife  and  children 
before  he  went,  but  this  was  denied.  Being  doubly  fet- 
tered he  was  mounted  on  a  mule  and  sent  forward  to 
Grenada.  By  the  way  the  mule  threw  him  upon  a  rocky 
part  of  the  road  and  nearly  broke  his  back.  On  his  ar- 
rival at  Grenada,  after  a  journey  of  three  days,  he  was 
detained  at  an  inn  till  it  was  dark,  for  they  never  bring 
any  one  into  the  inquisition  during  day -light.  At  night 
he  was  taken  to  the  prisop,  and  led  along  a  range  of  gal- 
leries till  he  arrived  at  a  dungeon.  The  gaoler  nailed 
up  his  books,  which  had  been  brought  from  Malaga,  say- 
ing they  must  remain  in  that  state  till  the  lords  of  the  in- 
quisition chose  to  inspect  them,  for  prisoners  are  never 
allowed  to  read  books.  He  then  said  to  Mr.  Martin,  "  you 
must  observe  as  great  silence  here  as  though  you  were 
dead  ;  you  must  not  speak,  nor  whistle,  nor  sing,  nor 


308  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

make  any  noise  that  can  be  heard.  And  if  you  hear 
any  body  cry  or  make  a  noise,  you  milst  be  still  and  say 
nothing  upon  pain  of  200  lashes."  Mr.  Martin  asked 
"  if  he  might  walk  about  the  room  ;"  the  reply  was,  "  he 
might,  but  it  must  be  very  softly."  In  about  a  week  he 
was  brought  to  audience.  He  followed  the  gaoler,  and 
coming  to  a  large  room,  saw  a  man  sitting  between 
two  crucifixes,  and  another  with  a  pen  in  his  hand,  who 
he  afterwards  learned  was  the  secretary.  The  chief  lord 
inquisitor  was  the  man  between  the  crucifixes,  and  ap- 
peared to  be  about  sixty  years  of  age.  He  ordered  Mr. 
Martin  to  sit  down  upon  a  little  stool  that  fronted  him. 
A  frivolous  examination  then  took  place.  The  questions 
related  to  his  family,  their  religion,  and  to  his  own,faith. 
He  admitted  that  he  was  a  protestant,  told  the  inquisitor 
that  the  religion  of  Christ  admitted  of  no  persecution,  and 
concluded  by  saying  he  hoped  to  remain  in  that  religion. 
He  underwent  five  examinations  without  any  thing  se- 
rious being  alleged  against  him.  In  a  few  days  he  was 
called  to  his  sixth  audience,  when  after  a  few  unimpor- 
tant questions,  the  chief  inquisitor  told  him  the  charges 
against  him  should  be  read,  and  he  must  give  an  imme- 
diate answer  to  each  respective  charge.  The  accusations 
against  him  were  read,  and  were  twenty-six  in  number, 
though  principally  of  the  most  trivial  nature,  and  the 
greater  part  wholly  false,  or  if  they  had  any  reference 
to  facts,  they  were  so  distorted  and  perverted  as  to  bear 
little  or  no  resemblance.  Mr.  Martin  replied  to  each  of 
them  firmly  and  discreetly,  exposing  their  weakness  and 
detecting  their  falsehood.  At  length  two  of  the  lords  of 
the  inquisition  visited  him  and  asked  many  trifling  ques- 
tions, concluding  with  their  usual  declaration,  "  We  will 
do  you  all  the  service  we  can."  Mr.  Martin  complained 
of  their  breach  of  promise  in  not  allowing  him  counsel  to 
plead  his  cause,  or  such  counsel  as  was  of  no  use  to  him. 
To  which  one  of  the  inquisitors  gravely  answered,  "  Law- 
yers are  not  allowed  to  speak  here."     About  a  month 


HISTORY  OF  POPERY.  309 

afterwards  he  had  a  rope  put  round  his  neck,  and  was 
led  by  it  to  the  altar  of  the  great  church.  Here  his  sen- 
tence was  pronounced,  which  was  that  for  the  crimes  he 
stood  convicted,  the  lords  of  the  holy  office  had  ordered  him 
to  be  banished  out  of  the  dominions  of  Spain,  upon  penalty 
of  200  lashes,  and  being  sent  five  years  to  the  gallies.  And 
that  he  should  at  present  receive  200  lashes  through 
the  streets  of  the  city  of  Grenada.  Mr.  Martin  Avas 
sent  again  to  his  dungeon  that  night.  The  next  morning 
the  executioner  came,  stripped  him,  tied  his  hands  to- 
gether, put  a  rope  about  his  neck  and  led  him  out  of  the 
prison.  He  was  then  mounted  on  an  ass,  and  received 
his  two  hundred  lashes  amidst  the  shoutings  and  peltings 
of  the  people.  He  remained  a  fortnight  after  in  prison, 
and  was  then  sent  to  Malaga.  Here  he  was  put  in  gaol 
for  some  days,  until  he  could  be  put  on  board  an  English 
ship.  His  wife  and  children  then  came  to  him,  and  they 
escaped  barely  with  their  lives,  all  his  effects  being  seized 
by  the  inquisition.  All  this,  be  it  remembered  was  in- 
flicted for  the  sole  charge  of  being  an  heretic,  in  other 
words  of  differing  from  them  in  his  belief.  For  all  their 
twenty-six  accusations  amounted  to  this  only.  It  is  sup- 
posed however,  that  Mr.  Martin  w^as  guilty  of  the  heresy 
of  being  rich,  and  that  his  money  was  the  principal  ob- 
ject of  these  proceedings.  The  most  lawless  banditti 
would  not  have  treated  a  fellow  creature  more  barba- 
rously. 

In  the  year  1559,  there  was  an  Auto  da  Fe,  at  Valla- 
dolid  in  Spain,  when  twenty-one  victims  were  roasted 
alive,  by  order  of  the  inquisition.  Among  them  was  a 
young  lady  named  Donna  Maria  de  Borhoques.  She 
was  daughter  of  Pedro  Garcia  Borhoques,  and  had  just 
completed  her  twenty-first  year,  when  she  was  arrested 
on  suspicion  of  Lutheranism.  Her  education  was  very 
superior,  being  perfectly  acquainted  with  the  Latin,  and 
having  made  considerable  proficiency  in  Greek.  She 
knew  the  gospels  by  heart,  and  was  thoroughly  read  in 


310  HISTORY  OF  POPERY. 

Lutheran  commentaries.  This  lady  was  confined  in  the 
secret  prison  of  the  inquisition,  where  she  avowed  the  doc- 
trines imputed  to  her,  defended  them  against  the  argu- 
ments of  the  priests  who  visited  her,  and  boldly  told  the 
inquisitors,  that  instead  of  punishing  her  for  her  creed, 
they  would  do  well  to  adopt  it.  In  regard  to  the  deposi- 
tions of  her  accusers,  though  she  allowed  some  points, 
she  persisted  in  denying  others  which  related  to  the  be- 
lief of  other  persons.-  This  denial  gave  the  inquisitors  an 
opportunity  which  they  ■  desired  of  putting  her  to  the 
rack.  By  the  torture  of  the  rack  they  only  extorted  from 
her  the  fact  that  her  sister,  Joanna  Borhoques  knew  of 
her  sentiments,  and  had  not  disapproved  of  them,  and 
as  she  persisted  in  her  profession  of  faith,  sentence  was 
passed  upon  her  as  an  obstinate  heretic.  In  the  interval 
between  her  condemnation  and  the  Auto  da  Fe,  at  which 
she  was  to  suffer,  the  inquisitors  made  every  exertion  to 
bring  her  back  to  the  popish  faith.  They  sent  to  her 
successively  two  Jesuits  and  two  Dominican  priests,  who 
labored  with  great  zeal  to  shake  her  faith  ;  but  they  re- 
turned without  having  effected  their  object,  full  of  admi- 
ration at  the  talents  she  displayed,  and  regretting  the  ob- 
stinacy with  which  she  persisted  in  what  they  called 
damnable  heresy.  The  evening  before  the  Auto  da  Fe, 
two  Dominicans  joined  in  the  attempt,  and  were  followed 
by  several  theologians  of  other  orders.  Donna  Maria 
received  them  with  civility,  but  dissuaded  them  from 
attempting  a  hopeless  task.  To  the  professions  which 
they  made  of  being  concerned  for  the  welfare  of  her 
soul,  she  answered  that  she  believed  them  sincere,  but 
that  they  must  not  suppose  that  she,  being  the  person 
chiefly  interested,  felt  a  less  concern  than  they.  She  told 
them  she  came  to  the  prison  fully  satisfied  of  the  ortho- 
doxy of  the  creed  which  she  held,  and  that  she  had  been 
confirmed  in  her  belief  by  the  evident  futility  of  the  argu* 
ments  used  against  it.  At  the  stake,  a  certain  man  named 
Ponce  de  Leon,  who  had  just  abjured  the  Lutheran  faith, 


HISTORY  OF  POPERY.  311 

exhorted  her  to  follow  his  example.  The  weakness  of 
this  apostate  for  a  moment  put  her  off  her  guard,  and 
she  answered  him  with  contempt  rather  than  with  pity. 
But  recollecting  herself,  she  told  him  coolly  that  the  time 
for  controversy  Avas  past,  and  that  their  wisest  plan  was 
to  occupy  the  few  moments  which  remained  to  them  in 
meditating  on  the  death  of  their  Redeemer,  in  order  to 
confirm  that  faith  by  which  alone  they  could  be  justified. 
The  rule  of  the  inquisition  is,  that  if  a  condemned  here- 
tic renounce  his  heresy  at  the  stake,  he  was  not  burnt 
alive,  but  first  strangled,  and  then  burned.  This  was 
all  poor  Ponce  de  Leon  gained  by  his  apostacy.  On 
this  occasion  the  attendant  priests,  moved  by  the  youth 
and  talents  of  Maria,  offered  her  this  milder  death  if  she 
would  merely  repeat  the  creed.  With  this  offer  she  readily 
complied,  and  having  finished  it,  she  immediately  com- 
menced an  explanation  of  its  articles  according  to  the 
sense  of  the  reformers.  This  confession  of  faith  was  at 
once  interrupted.  Donna  Maria  was  strangled  by  the 
executioner,  and  her  body  was  afterwards  consumed  to 
ashes. 

It  has  been  mentioned  that  the  only  confession  extorted 
from  Donna  Maria  by  the  rack  was,  that  her  sister  knew 
her  religious  sentiments,  and  had  not  disapproved  of 
them.  This  sister,  whose  name  was  Joanna,  was  mar- 
ried to  Don  Francis  de  Vargas,  lord  of  Heguera.  She 
was  immediately  arrested  on  the  confession  of  her  sister, 
and  though  six  months  advanced  in  pregnancy,  was  con- 
fined in  one  of  the  common  dungeons  of  the  inquisition. 
In  this  dungeon  she  was  delivered  of  a  child,  with  no 
assistance  but  that  of  a  young  woman  confined  in  the 
same  cell,  on  charge  of  Lutheranism.  Eight  days  after 
its  birth,  the  child  was  taken  from  her,  and  soon  after 
her  friendly  nurse,  having  been  tortured,  returned  to  the 
prison  with  dislocated  limbs  ;  and  Donna  Joanna,  though 
still  feeble,  was  called  upon  to  repay  the  charitable  atten- 
tions she  had  received.  Before  her  health  was  established, 


312  HISTORY  OF  POPERY. 

she  also  was  subjected  to  the  torture  of  the  rack.  Her 
enfeebled  frame  sunk  under  its  sufferings,  a  blood  vessel 
burst  while  she  was  on  the  rack,  and  in  two  days,  she 
was  delivered  by  death  from  further  persecutions.  After 
perpetrating  this  foul  murder,  the  inquisitors  thought  it 
a  sufficient  reparation  to  declare  Donna  Joanna  innocent 
at  the  next  Auto  da  Fe.  This  was  a  practice  with  the 
inquisitors,  after  they  had  tortured  and  murdered  innocent 
persons,  on  mere  suspicion,  or  for  their  own  diversion ; 
their  acquittal  was  to  pronounce  them  innocent  after  they 
were  dead,  or  injured  beyond  recovery.  In  fact,  there- 
fore, no  distinction,  as  to  the  persons  or  interests  of  the 
accused  was  made  between  the  innocent  and  guilty. 
They  must  all  alike  suffer.  Cases  of  the  same  nature 
with  those  above  stated  might  be  multiplied  to  almost 
any  extent.  But  the  limits  of  this  work  admit  only  of 
examples.  The  secrecy  with  which  the  orders  of  the 
holy  office  were  executed  is  very  remarkable.  No  grand 
Turk  or  eastern  Nabob,  ever  had  his  servants  trained  to 
more  exact  precision  and  secrecy  of  movement,  than 
were  the  servants  of  the  holy  office.  A  father  and  three 
sons,  and  three  daughters,  were  once  apprehended  and 
carried  to  the  prison  of  the  inquisition,  and  though  they 
lived  in  the  same  house,  they  knew  nothing  of  each 
other's  imprisonment,  until  seven  years  after,  when  those 
of  their  number  that  were  still  alive,  were  brought  out 
to  Auto  da  Fe.  Persons  nearly  allied  to  each  other,  may 
be  confined  in  contiguous  cells,  without  any  knowledge 
of  the  fact.  For  the  merciless  turnkeys  are  constantly 
on  the  watch  to  prevent  the  utterance  of  any  sound,  lest 
it  shoWd  reveal  some  secret.  If  a  person  bemoans,  or 
prays,  or  sings,  in  an  audible  voice,  he  is  instantly 
silenced.  No  man  is  allowed  even  to  cough  in  the  damp 
cells  of  the  inquisition,  lest  he  should  be  discovered.  A 
prisoner  in  the  cells  of  the  inquisition  once  coughed. 
The  gaolers  came  and  admonished  him  to  desist.  He 
told  them  he  could  not  refrain.     And  because  he  did  not 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  313 

refrain,  they  stripped  him  and  beat  him  cruelly.  This 
hoAvever  only  increased  his  cough.  For  which  they 
actually  beat  him  till  he  died. 

The  prisons  of  the  inquisition  are  emptied  at  regu- 
lar intervals,  by  the  recurrence  of  what  they  call,  an 
"Auto  da  Fe."  The  literal  meaning  of  this  phrase  is, 
an  act  of  faith.  But  the  real  import  of  it  is,  a  general 
burning  at  the  stake  of  the  condemned  criminals  found 
in  the  dungeons  of  the  inquisition.  In  other  words,  it  is 
the  season  of  execution,  when  a  great  procession  is  form- 
ed, and  a  great  concourse  of  people  assembled,  and  the 
prisoners  are  taken  from  their  dungeons,  where  they  have 
lain  in  suffering,  and  after  having  been  subjected  to  ail 
manner  of  cruelties  on  the  rack,  and  marched  into  the 
field  prepared  for  the  purpose,  where  scores  are  burned 
alive  at  the  stake.  And  this  generally  for  no  other 
crime,  than  a  difference  of  belief  respecting  the  doc- 
trines and  duties  of  religion.  The  inquisition,  it  will  be 
recollected,  was  established  for  the  purpose  of  extirpa- 
ting heretics,  consequently  almost  all  its  proceedings,  and 
executions  are  persecution,  or  the  torturing  and  destroy- 
ing people  for  their  conscientious  belief.  This  is  the 
proper  and  ostensible  business  of  the  holy  office.  But 
persecution,  in  the  proper  sense  of  the  term,  is  not  the 
only  employment  of  the  inquisitors.  Their  unrestrain- 
ed power  in  searching  out  heretics,  gives  them  opportu- 
nity to  indulge  in  the  most  flagitious  practices,  and 
friends  as  well  as  foes  are  often  rendered  subservient  to 
the  gratification  of  their  licentious  passions.  "  The 
grand  Turk,"  says  McGavin,  "has  not  a  more  splendid 
seraglio  within  the  walls  of  his  palace,  than  these  holy 
fathers  have  been  know  to  have  kept  within  the  walls  of 
the  inquisition  ;  and  these  very  fathers  would  without 
scruple  have  sent  any  man  of  their  own  order  to  the 
flames,  if  he  had  presumed  to  commit  the  heresy  of  mar- 
rying and  living  honestly  with  one  woman."  This, 
though  not  strictly  persecution  for  truth's  sake,  vet,  is 

27 


314  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

such  a  monstrous  abuse  of  power,  and  so  illustrates  the 
savage  character  of  popery,  that  one  example  on  this 
point  will  not  be  deemed  inadmissible.  It  is  taken  from 
McGavin's  Protestant,  vol.  ii.  p.  146. 

"  About  the  beginning-  of  the  last  century,  there  hap- 
pened to  be  a  sort  of  civil  war  in  Spain,  in  which  the 
troops  of  the  king  of  France  were  actively  engaged  on 
one  side.  In  their  victorious  career,  they  came  into 
possession  of  the  city  of  Saragossa,  in  Arragon,  in  which 
were  a  number  of  convents,  particularly  one  of  Domini- 
cans. The  French  commander,  M.  Legal,  found  it  ne- 
cessary to  levy  a  pretty  heavy  contribution  upon  the  in- 
habitants, not'excepting  the  convents.  The  Dominicans, 
all  whose  friars  were  familiars  of  the  holy  inquisition, 
excused  themselves  in  a  civil  manner,  saying  that  they 
had  no  money,  and  if  M.  de  Legal  should  insist  on  the 
demand  of  a  thousand  pistoles,  which  fell  to  their  share, 
they  could  not  pay  him  in  any  other  way  than  by  send- 
ing him  the  silver  bodies  of  the  saints.  The  friars  ima- 
gined that  the  French  commander  would  not  have  the 
heart  to  demand  such  a  sacrifice  ;  and  they  thought,  that 
if  he  should  insist  upon  it,  they  would,  by  raising  the  cry 
of  heresy  against  him,  raise  the  mass  of  the  people  to 
take  their  part.  The  Frenchman,  however,  felt  no  qualms 
of  conscience  about  the  matter.  He  signified  that  the 
silver  saints  would  be  very  welcome  visitors.  The  friars, 
seeing  they  could  not  mend  the  matter,  carried  their 
gods  to  the  governor  in  solemn  procession,  and  with 
lighted  candles.  The  governor,  having  heard  that  it 
was  their  intention  to  make  a  procession,  and  raise  a  mob 
if  they  could,  ordered  out  four  companies  of  grenadiers, 
well  armed,  to  receive  the  saints  in  the  most  respectful 
manner,  so  that  the  design  of  raising  the  people  entirely 
failed.  The  saints  were  forthwith  sent  to  the  mint,  and 
the  holy  fathers  applied  to  the  inquisition,  to  interpose 
its  supreme  power  in  order  to  save  them  from  the  fur- 
nace.    This  power  was  readily  exercised  in  the  way  of 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  315 

excommunicating  M.  Legal.  An  instrument  to  this 
effect  having  been  drawn  up  and  signed,  the  secretary  of 
the  holy  office  was  commanded  to  go  and  read  it  to  the 
governor.  Having  performed  his  duty,  the  excommuni- 
cated governor,  instead  of  expressing  displeasure,  with  a 
mild  countenance  took  the  paper  from  the  secretary 
and  said,  "  pray  tell  your  masters  the  inquisitors,  that  I 
will  answer  them  to-morrow  morning."  The  governor 
then  ordered  his  secretary  to  draw  a  copy  of  the  excom- 
munication with  the  simple  alteration  of  inserting  the 
names  of  the  holy  inquisitors  instead  of  his  own  name : 
and  the  next  morning  he  ordered  four  regiments  to  be 
sent  along  with  his  secretary  to  the  inquisition,  with 
command  to  read  the  excommunication  to  the  inquisitors 
themselves,  and  if  they  made  the  least  noise,  to  turn  them 
out,  open  all  the  prisons,  and  quarter  two  regiments  there. 
The  orders  were  obeyed,  and  the  holy  fathers  were 
amazed  deeply,  and  confounded,  to  find  themselves 
excommunicated  by  a  man  who  had  no  authority  for  it : 
and  they  began  a  hue  and  cry  against  the  governor  as  a 
heretic,  and  as  having  publicly  insulted  the  Catholic 
faith. — "Holy  inquisitors,"  said  the  secretary,  "the 
king  wants  this  house  to  quarter  his  troops  in,  so  walk 
out  immediately."  And  having  no  alternative  they  were 
compelled  to  obey.  The  doors  of  the  prisons  were 
thrown  open,  and  then  the  wickedness  of  the  inquisitors 
was  exposed  to  the  world.  Four  hundred  prisoners  got 
liberty  that  day,  and  among  them  sixty  well  dressed 
young  women,  Avho  were  found  to  be  the  private  property 
of  the  three  inquisitors,  and  of  which  they  had  robbed 
the  families  of  the  city  and  neighborhood.  The  Arch- 
bishop, seriously  concerned  for  the  honor  of  the  holy 
tribunal,  desired  M.  Legal  to  send  these  women  to  his  pa- 
lace, promising  that  he  would  take  care  of  them  and  in  th^ 
mean  time  he  published  an  ecclesiastical  censure  against 
all  who  should  defame  by  groundless  reports,  the  holy 
office  of  the  inquisition  ;  that  is,  all  that  should  jjnention 


316  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

the  fact  thus  brought  to  light.  The  governor  professed 
his  willingness  to  comply  Avith  his  grace's  request,  but 
as  to  the  young  women,  that  w^as  not  in  his  power,  they 
being  rescued  and  taken  away  by  the  French  officers. 
In  fact  they  were  chiefly  young  ladies,  beautiful  and 
accomplished,  who  had  been  forcibly  carried  away  at  the 
pleasure  of  the  holy  fathers,  from  the  most  opulent  fami- 
lies in  the  city ;  and  who  probably  would  never  have 
been  seen  without  the  walls  of  the  sacred  building,  but 
for  such  a  deliverance  as  that  which  was  effected  by  the 
-French  soldiers.  Some  of  them  were  afterwards  married 
to  their  deliverers,  one  of  whom  furnished  Mr.  Gavin, 
from  whom  I  abridge  this  statement,  with  a  narrative  of 
her  own  case,  which  I  am  sure  will  be  interesting  to  my 
readers.  I  shall  give  the  substance  of  it,  without  adhe- 
ring strictly  to  the  author's  phraseology.  Mr.  Gavin 
had  been  a  popish  priest. 

Travelling  in  France  sometime  after  the  event  above 
referred  to,  and  after  he  had  renounced  his  situation  as 
popish  priest,  he  met  one  of  the  ladies  at  Rochfort,  at  an 
inn  where  he  happened  to  lodge.  She  was  then  the  wife 
of  the  innkeeper's  son,  who  had  been  a  lieutenant  in  the 
French  service  in  Spain.  Though  she  did  not  know 
Mr.  Gavin  in  his  secular  habit,  yet  he  recognized  her  as 
the  daughter  of  counsellor  Belabriga,  in  Saragossa,  with 
whose  family  he  had  been  acquainted.  Her  father,  it 
seems,  had  died  of  grief  after  having  lost  her,  without  the 
comfort  of  revealing  the  cause  of  his  trouble  even  to  his 
confessor,  so  great  was  his  dread  of  the  inquisition. 
From  this  lady  Mr.  Gavin  obtained  a  full  account  of  the 
manner  of  her  abduction,  and  of  the  treatment  which  she 
received  in  the  holy  office. 

"  I  went  one  day,"  said  she,  "with  my  mother  to  visit 

•the  countess  of  Attarass,  and  I  met  there  Don  Francisco 

Torrejon,  her  confessor  and  second  inquisitor.    After  we 

had  drank  chocolate,  he  asked  me  my  age,  my  confessor's 

name,  and  so  many  intricate  questions  about  religion  that 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  31T 

I  could  not  answer  him.  His  serious  countenance 
frightened  me ;  and  perceiving  my  fear,  he  desired  the 
countess  to  tell  me  that  he  was  not  so  severe  as  I  suppo- 
sed, after  which  he  caressed  me  very  kindly.  He  gave 
me  his  hand  which  I  kissed  with  great  respect  and 
modesty,  and  when  he  went  aw^ay  he  told  me,  "  my  dear 
child  I  shall  remember  you  till  the  next  time."  I  did 
not  know  what  he  meant  being  quite  inexperienced,  and 
only  fifteei\  years  old.  Indeed  he  did  remember  me,  for 
that  very  night,  Avhen  in  bed,  hearing  a  hard  knocking 
at  the  door,  the  maid  who  lay  in  the  room  with  me  went 
to  the  window  and  asking  who  was  there,  I  heard  the 
reply,  '  the  holy  inquisition.'  I  could  not  forbear  crying 
out,  father,  I  am  ruined  forever.  My  dear  father  got 
up,  and  inquiring  what  the  matter  was,  I  answered  him 
with  tears,  '  the  inquisition.'  He,  for  fear  the  maid  would 
not  open  the  door  so  quickly  as  such  a  case  required, 
went  himself  to  open  the  door,  and  like  another  Abraham, 
to  offer  his  child  to  the  fire ;  and  as  I  did  not  cease  to 
cry  out,  my  dear  father,  all  in  tears,  stopped  my  mouth 
to  shew  his  obedience  to  the  holy  office  ;  for  he  supposed 
I  had  committed  some  crime  against  religion.  The 
officers  gave  me  time  only  to  put  on  a  petticoat  and  a 
mantle,  they  took  me  into  the  coach,  and  without  allow- 
mg  me  the  satisfaction  of  embracing  my  father  and 
mother,  they  carried  me  into  the  inquisition. 

"  I  expected  to  die  that  night ;  but  when  they  carried  me 
into  a  noble  room  well  furnished,  I  was  quite  surprised. 
The  officers  left  me  there,  and  immediately  a  maid  came 
in  with  a  salver  of  sweetmeats  and  cinnamon  water,  de- 
siring me  to  take  some  refreshment  before  I  went  to  bed. 
I  told  her  I  could  not,  but  that  I  should  be  obliged  to  her 
if  she  could  tell  me  whether  I  was  to  die  that  night  or 
not.  '  Die  !'  said  she,  'you  do  not  come  here  to  die,  but 
to  live  like  a  princess,  and  you  shall  want  for  nothing  but 
the  liberty  of  going  out ;  so,  be  not  afraid,  but  go  to  bed 
and  sleep  easy,  for  to-morrow  you  shall  see  wonders  in 

27* 


318  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

this  house ;  and  as  I  am  chosen  to  be  your  waiting-maid, 
I  hope  you  will  be  kind  to  me.'  I  was  going  to  ask  some 
questions,  but  she  told  me  she  had  not  leave  to  tell  me 
any  thing  more  till  the  next  day, '  only  nobody  shall  come 
to  disturb  you ;'  so  she  left  me  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour. 
The  great  amazement  I  was  in  took  away  the  exercise  of 
my  senses  to  such  a  degree,  that  I  could  neither  think  of 
my  parents  nor  of  my  own  dangerous  situation.  In  this 
suspension  of  thought,  the  maid  returned,  and  locked  the 
chamber  door  after  her.  '  Madam,'  said  she,  '  let  us  go 
to  bed,  and  be  pleased  to  tell  me  at  what  time  in  the 
morning  you  will  have  the  chocolate  ready.'  I  asked 
her  name,  and  she  told  me  it  was  Mary.  '  Mary,'  said 
I,  '  for  God's  sake  tell  me  whether  I  come  to  die  or  not.' 
'  I  have  told  you,'  said  she,  '  that  you  come  to  be  one  of 
the  happiest  ladies  in  the  world.'  I  went  to  bed,  but  the 
fear  of  death  prevented  my  shutting  my  eyes,  so  that  I 
arose  at  the  break  of  day.  Mary  lay  till  six  o'clock,  and 
was  surprised  to  find  me  up.  She  said  but  little,  but  in 
half  an  hour  she  brought  me,  on  a  silver  plate,  two  cups 
of  chocolate,  and  biscuits.  I  drank  one  cup,  and  desired 
her  to  drink  the  other,  which  she  did.  '  Well,  Mary,' 
said  I,  '  can  you  give  me  any  account  of  the  reasons  of 
my  being  here  V  '  Not  yet,  madam,'  said  she ;  '  have  a 
little  patience.'  With  this  answer  she  left  me,  and  an 
hour  after  came  again,  with  a  fine  Holland  shift,  a  Hol- 
land under  petticoat,  finely  laced  round,  two  silk  petti- 
coats, and  a  little  Spanish  waistcoat,  fringed  all  over  with 
gold,  and  combs  and  ribbons,  and  every  thing  suitable  to 
a  lady  of  higher  quality  than  I ;  but  my  greatest  surprise 
was  to  see  a  gold  snufF-box,  with  the  picture  of  Don 
Francisco  Torrejon  in  it.  Then  I  understood  the  mean- 
ing of  my  confinement.  I  considered  with  myself  that 
to  refuse  the  present  would  be  the  occasion  of  my  imme- 
diate death,  and  that  to  accept  it  was  to  give  him  too  great 
encouragement  against  my  honor.  But  I  found,  as  I 
thought,  a  medium  in  the  case.     So  I  said  to  Mary, 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  319 

'Pray  give  my  service  to-  Don  Francisco  Torrejon,  and 
tell  him,  that  as  I  could  not  bring  my  clothes  with  me 
last  night,  honesty  permits  me  to  receive  what  is  neces- 
sary to  keep  me  decent ;  but  since  I  do  not  take  snuff^  I 
beg  his  lordship  to  excuse  me  if  I  do  not  accept  this  box. 
Mary  went  to  him  with  this  answer,  and  came  again  with 
a  picture  nicely  set  in  gold,  with  four  diamonds  at  the 
four  corners  of  it,  and  told  me  that  his  lordship  had  mis- 
taken, and  that  he  desired  me  to  accept  that  picture. 
While  I  was  musing  what  to  do,  Mary  said,  '  Pray, 
madam,  take  my  poor  advice,  accept  the  picture  and  every 
thing  he  sends  you  ;  for  consider,  if  you  do  not  comply 
with  every  thing  he  has  a  mind  for,  you  will  soon  be  put 
to  death,  and  nobody  can  defend  you ;  but  if  you  are 
obliging  to  him,  he  is  a  very  complaisant  gentleman,  and 
will  be  a  charming  lover,  and  you  will  live  here  like  a 
queen.  He  will  give  you  another  apartment  with  fine 
gardens,  and  many  young  ladies  will  come  to  visit  you ; 
so  I  advise  you  to  send  a  civil  answer,  and  desire  a  visit 
from  him,  or  you  will  soon  repent  it.'  '  O  dear  !'  cried 
I.  *  must  I,  then,  abandon  my  honor  without  remedy  ? 
And  if  I  oppose  his  desire,  he  will  by  force  obtain  it.' 
So,  full  of  confusion,  I  bid  Mary  give  him  what  answer 
she  pleased.  She  was  very  glad  of  my  humble  submis- 
sion, and  went  to  give  Don  Francisco  an  account  of  it. 
In  a  few  minutes  she  returned  with  great  joy  to  tell  me 
that  his  lordship  would  honor  me  with  his  company  to 
supper.  In  the  mean  time  he  desired  me  to  mind  no- 
thing but  how  to  divert  myself,  and  to  give  Mary  my  mea- 
sure for  some  new  clothes,  and  order  her  to  bring  me 
every  thing  I  wished  for.  Mary  added, '  Madam,  I  may 
now  call  you  my  mistress,  and  must  now  tell  you  that  I 
have  been  in  this  holy  office  these  fourteen  years,  and 
know  the  customs  of  it  well ;  but  as  silence  is  imposed 
on  me  under  pain  of  death,  I  cannot  tell  you  anything 
but  what  concerns  your  person ;  so,  in  the  first  place,  do 
not  oppose  the  holy  father's  will ;  secondly,  if  you  see 


320  HISTORY    OF    POPERY, 

some  young  ladies  here,  never  ask  them  any  questions, 
neither  will  they  ask  you,  and  take  care  you  never  tell 
them  anything.  You  may  come  and  divert  yourself 
among  them  at  such  hours  as  are  appointed.  You  shall 
have  music  and  all  sorts  of  recreations.  Three  days 
hence  you  shall  dine  with  them  ;  they  are  all  ladies  of 
quality,  young  and  merry.  You  will  live  so  happily 
here,  that  you  will  not  wish  to  go  abroad ;  and  Avhen 
your  time  is  expired,  the  holy  fathers  will  send  you  out 
of  this  country,  and  marry  you  to  some  nobleman.  Ne- 
ver mention  your  name,  nor  Don  Francisco's,  to  any.  If 
you  see  here  some  young  ladies  you  have  formerly  been 
acquainted  with,  no  notice  must  be  taken,  and  nothing 
must  be  talked  of  but  indifferent  matters.'  All  this  made 
me  astonished,  or  rather  stupified,  and  the  whole  seemed 
to  me  a  piece  of  enchantment.  With  this  lesson  she  left 
me,  saying  she  was  going  to  order  my  dinner.  Every 
time  she  went  out,  she  locked  the  door.  There  were  but 
two  windows  in  my  room,  and  they  were  so  high  that  I 
could  see  nothing  through  them ;  but  hunting  about,  I 
found  a  closet,  with  all  sorts  of  historical  and  profane 
books ;  so  I  spent  my  time  till  dinner  in  reading,  which 
was  some  satisfaction  to  me.  In  about  two  hours  she 
brought  dinner,  at  which  was  every  thing  that  could  sa- 
tisfy the  most  nice  appetite.  When  dinner  was  over  she 
left  me  alone,  and  told  me  if  I  wanted  anything,  to  ring 
the  bell ;  so  I  went  to  the  closet  again,  and  spent  three 
hours  in  reading.  I  think  I  was  really  under  some  en- 
chantment, for  I  was  in  perfect  suspension  of  thought,  so 
as  to  remember  neither  father  nor  mother.  Mary  came 
and  told  me  Don  Francisco  was  come  home,  and  she 
thought  he  would  come  and  see  me  very  soon,  and  beg- 
ged me  to  receive  him  with  all  manner  of  kindness. 

"At  seven  in  the  evening  Don  Francisco  came,  in  his 
nightgown  and  cap ;  not  wiih  the  gravity  of  an  inquisi- 
tor, but  with  the  gayety  of  an  officer.  He  saluted  me 
with  great  respect,  and  told  me  that  his  coming  to  see  me 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  321 

was  only  to  show  the  value  he  had  for  my  family,  and  to 
tell  me  that  some  of  my  lovers  had  procured  my  ruin, 
having  accused  me  in  matters  of  religion ;  that  the  in- 
formations were  taken,  and  the  sentence  pronounced 
against  me,  to  be  burnt  alive  in  a  dry  pan  with  a  slow 
fire ;  but  that  he,  out  of  pity  and  love  to  my  family,  had 
stopped  the  execution  of  it.  Every  word  was  a  mortal 
stroke  to  my  heart.  I  threw  myself  at  his  feet  and  said, 
'  Ah  !  Seignior,  have  you  stopped  the  execution  forever  ?' 
'  It  only  belongs  to  you  to  stop  it,  or  not,'  said  he,  and 
with  this  bade  me  good  night.  As  soon  as  he  went  out 
T  fell  a  crying,  but  Mary  came  and  asked  me  what  made 
me  cry  so  bitterly  ?  '  Ah  !  good  Mary,'  said  I,  '  tell  me 
what  is  the  meaning  of  the  dry  pan  with  the  gradual  fire, 
for  I  expect  to  die  by  it.'  '  0  !  madam,'  said  she,  '  never 
fear.  You  shall,  ere  long,  see  the  dry  pan  and  the 
gradual  fire  ;  but  they  are  made  for  those  who  oppose  the 
holy  father's  will,  not  for  you  who  are  so  obliging  as  to 
obey  it.  But  pray,  was  not  Don  Francisco  very  obliging?' 
'  I  do  not  know,'  said  I,  'for  his  discourse  has  put  me  out 
of  my  wits.  He  saluted  me  with  great  civility,  but  he 
left  me  abruptly.'  'Well,'  said  Mary,  'you  do  not  yet 
know  his  temper  ;  he  is  extremely  kind  to  people  that  are 
obedient  to  him  ;  but  if  they  are  not,  he  is  as  unmerciful 
as  Nero  ;  so,  for  your  own  sake,  take  care  to  oblige  him 
in  all  respects.'  She  bade  me  be  easy,  and  go  to  supper  ; 
but  the  thoughts  of  the  dry  pan  so  troubled  me,  that  I 
could  neither  eat  nor  sleep  any  that  night.  Early  in  the 
morning  Mary  got  up,  and  told  me  that  nobody  was  yet 
stirring  in  the  house ;  and  that  if  I  would  promise  se- 
erecy,  she  would  show  me  the  dry  pan  and  the  gradual 
fire.  So,  taking  me  down  stairs,  she  brought  me  into  a 
large  room  with  a  thick  iron  door,  and  within  it  was  an 
oven  burning,  with  a  large  brass  pan  upon  it,  with  a 
cover  of  the  same  with  a  lock  to  it.  In  the  next  room 
was  a  great  wheel,  covered  on  both  sides  with  thick 
boards,  and,  opening  a  little  window  in  the  centre  of  it, 


332  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

she  desired  me  to  look  with  a  candle  on  the  inside  of  it. 
There  I  saw  that  all  the  circumference  of  the  wheel  was 
set  with  sharp  razors.  After  that,  she  showed  me  a  pit 
full  of  serpents  and  toads.  '  Now,  my  good  mistress,' 
said  she,  '  I  will  tell  you  the  use  of  these  three  things. 
The  dry  pan  is  for  heretics,  and  those  who  oppose  the 
holy  father's  will  and  pleasure.  They  are  put  naked 
alive  into  the  pan,  and  the  cover  of  it  being  locked  up, 
the  executioner  begins  to  put  a  small  fire  in  the  oven,  and 
by  degrees  he  increases  it  till  the  body  is  reduced  to 
ashes.  The  second  is  designed  for  those  that  speak 
against  the  pope  and  the  holy  fathers,  for  they  are  put 
within  the  wheel,  and  the  little  door  being  locked,  the 
executioner  turns  the  wheel  till  the  person  is  dead.  And 
the  third  is  for  those  who  contemn  the  images,  and  refuse 
to  give  due  respect  and  veneration  to  ecclesiastical  per- 
sons ;  for  they  are  thrown  into  the  pit,  and  become  the 
food  of  serpents  and  toads.  Then  Mary  said  to  me  that 
another  day  she  would  show  me  the  torments  for  public 
sinners  ;  but  I  was  in  so  great  agony  at  Avhat  I  had  seen, 
that  I  desired  her  to  show  me  no  more  places ;  so  we 
went  to  my  room,  and  she  again  charged  me  to  be  very 
obedient  to  all  the  commands  of  Don  Francisco,  for  I 
might  be  assured  if  I  was  not,  that  I  must  undergo  the 
torments  of  the  dry  pan.  I  conceived  such  a  horror  of 
the  gradual  fire,  that  I  was  not  mistress  of  my  senses,  so 
I  promised  Mary  to  follow  her  advice.  '  If  you  are  in 
that  disposition,'  said  she,  '  leave  ofl'  all  fear,  and  expect 
nothing  but  pleasure  and  satisfaction.' 

"  About  ten  o'clock,  (in  the  morning,)  Mary  came  and 
dressed  me.  We  left  Don  Francisco  in  bed,  and  she 
carried  me  into  another  chamber,  very  delightful  and 
better  furnished  than  the  first,  for  the  windows  were 
lower  and  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  river  and 
g-ardens.  Mary  then  told  me  that  the  young  ladies 
would  come  and  pay  me  their  respects,  before  dinner,  and 
would  take  me  to  dine  with  them,  and  begged  me  to  re- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  323 

member  her  advice.  She  had  scarcely  finished,  when  I 
saw  a  troop  of  young  beautiful  ladies,  finely  dressed,  who 
came  one  after  another  to  embrace  me,  and  to  wish  me 
joy.  My  surprise  was  so  great  that  I  was  unable  to  an- 
swer their  compliments.  But  one  of  them  seeing  me 
silent,  said,  '  Madam  the  solitude  of  this  place  will  affect 
you  in  the  beginning,  but  when  you  feel  the  pleasures 
we  enjoy,  you  will  quit  your  pensive  thoughts.  Now 
we  beg  of  you  the  honor,  to  come  and  dine  with  us  to-day, 
and  henceforth  three  days  in  a  week.'  I  returned  them 
thanks,  so  we  went  to  dinner.  That  day  we  had  all  sorts 
of  exquisite  meats,  delicate  fruits,  and  sweetmeats.  The 
room  was  long,  with  two  tables  on  each  side,  and  another 
at  the  front  of  it,  and  I  reckoned  in  it  that  day  fifty -two 
young  ladies,  the  eldest  not  exceeding  twenty-four  years. 
After  dinner,  we  went  up  to  a  long  gallery,  w^here  some 
of  us  played  on  instruments  of  music,  others  at  cards,  and 
some  walked  about  three  or  four  hours  together.  At 
last  Mary  came  up  ringing  a  small  bell,  which  was,  as 
I  was  told,  the  signal  for  us  to  go  to  our  own  rooms.  But 
Mary  said  to  the  whole  company,  *  ladies  to  day  is  a  day  of 
recreation,  so  you  may  go  into  what  rooms  you  please 
till  eight  o'clock.'  They  all  desired  to  go  into  my  apart- 
ment with  me.  We  found  in  my  antechamber,  a  table 
with  all  sorts  of  sweetmeats  upon  it  ;  iced  cinnamon,  al- 
mond milk,  and  the  like.  Every  one  ate  and  drank,  but 
nobody  spake  a  word  about  the  sumptuousness  of  the 
table,  or  the  inquisition,  or  the  holy  fathers.  They  re- 
tired to  their  respective  apartments  at  eight  o'clock,  when 
Mary  came  to  conduct  me  to  Don  Francisco,  with  whom 
I  was  to  sup  and  spend  the  night.  In  the  morning 
when  I  returned  to  my  own  chamber,  I  found  ready  two 
suits  of  clothes  of  rich  brocade,  and  everything  else  suita- 
ble to  a  lady  of  the  first  rank.  1  put  on  one,  and  when  I 
was  quite  dressed,  the  ladies  came  to  wish  me  joy,  all 
dressed  in  different  clothes  much  richer  than  before. 
We  spent  the  second  and  the  third  day  in  the  same  sort  of 


324  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

recreation  ;  Don  Francisco  continuing  in  the  same  man- 
ner with  me.  But  on  the  fourth  morning  after  drinking 
chocolate,  which  it  was  the  custom  to  do  in  bed,  Mary 
told  me  that  a  lady  was  waiting  for  me  in  her  own  room, 
and  with  an  air  of  authority  desired  me  to  get  up.  I 
thought  this  was  to  give  me  some  new  comfort,  but  in 
this  I  was  much  mistaken  ;  for  Mary  conveyed  me  into 
a  lady's  room  not  eight  feet  long,  which  was  a  perfect 
prison,  and  told  me  this  was  my  room,  and  this  young 
lady  my  bed-fellow  and  companion,  and  without  saying 
any  thing  more  she  left  me  there.  *  What  is  this,  de-ar 
lady,'  said  I,  'is  it  an  enchanted  place,  or  hell  upon  earth. 
I  have  lost  father  and  mother,  and  what  is  worse,  I  have 
lost  my  honor  and  my  soul  for  ever.'  My  new  com- 
panion, seeing  my  agitation,  took  me  by  the  hands  and 
said,  '  dear  sister  forbear  to  cry  and  grieve  ;  for  such  ex- 
travagant behaviour  will  only  draw  upon  you  a  cruel 
death.  Your  misfortunes  and  ours  are  exactly  of  a  piece. 
You  suffer  nothing  that  we  have  not  suffered  before  you, 
but  we  dare  not  show  our  grief  for  fear  of  greater  evils.' 
She  advised  me  to  show  no  uneasiness  before  Mary,  who 
was  the  only  instrument  of  their  torments  or  comfort.  I 
was  in  a  most  desperate  condition,  but  my  new  sister 
Leonora  prevailed  so  much  upon  me  that  I  overcame  my 
vexation,  before  Mary  came  in  to  bring  our  dinner, 
which  Avas  very  different  from  what  we  had  had  for  three 
days  before.  After  dinner  another  maid  came  to  take 
away  the  plate  and  knife,  for  we  had  but  one  between  us 
both,  and  after  she  had  gone  out  and  locked  the  door. 
Leonora  told  me  that  we  should  not  be  disturbed  again 
till  eight  o'clock ;  and  that  if  I  would  promise  to  keep 
secret  what  she  should  tell  me  while  I  remained  in  that 
house,  she  would  reveal  all  that  she  knew.  I  promised 
all  that  she  desired,  upon  which  she  began  as  follows : — 
"  My  dear  sister  you  think  your  case  is  very  hard,*but 
I  assure  you  all  the  ladies  in  this  house  have  gone 
through  the  same  ;  in  time  you  will  know  all  their  stories, 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  325 

as  they  hope  to  know  yours.  I  suppose  Mary  has  been 
the  chief  instrument  of  your  fright,  as  she  has  been  of 
ours,  and  I  warrant  she  has  shown  you  some  horrible 
places,  though  not  all,  and  at  the  mere  thought  of  them 
you  were  so  much  troubled  in  your  mind  that  you  have 
chosen  the  same  way  we  have  to  redeem  yourself  from 
death.  By  what  has  happened  to  us  we  know  that  Don 
Francisco  has  been  your  Nero,  for  the  three  colors  of  our 
clothes  are  the  distinguishing  tokens  of  the  three  holy 
fathers.  The  red  silk  belongs  to  Don  Francisco,  the 
blue  to  Guerrero,  and  the  green  to  Aliaga.  We  are 
strictly  commanded  to  make  all  demonstrations  of  joy, 
and  to  be  very  merry  for  three  days,  when  a  lady  first 
comes  here,  as  we  did  with  you,  and  as  you  must  do 
with  others;  but  afterwards  we  live  like  prisoners,  with- 
out seeing  a  single  soul,  but  the  six  maids,  and  Mary, 
who  is  the  housekeeper.  We  dine  all  of  us  in  the  hall 
three  days  in  a  week.  When  any  of  the  holy  fathers  has 
a  mind  for  any  one  of  his  slaves,  Mary  comes  at  nine^ 
o'clock  and  conducts  her  to  his  apartment.  Some  nights 
Mary  leaves  the  door  of  our  rooms  open,  and  that  is  a 
sign  that  one  of  the  fathers  has  a  mind  to  visit  us,  but 
we  do  not  know  whether  it  is  our  patron  or  not.  We 
have  at  present  fifty-two  young  ladies,  and  we  lose  every 
year  six  or  eight,  but  where  they  are  sent  we  do  not 
know.  We  always  get  xiew  ones  in  their  places,  and  I 
have  seen  here  seventy-three  ladies  at  once.  Our  conti- 
nued torment  is  to  think  that  when  the  holy  fathers  are 
tired  of  us,  they  will  put  us  to  death,  for  they  never  will 
run  the  hazard  of  being  discovered  in  their  villany.  So, 
though  we  cannot  oppose  their  commands,  yet  we  conti- 
nually pray  to  God  to  pardon  those  ills,  which  we  are 
forced  to  commit,  and  to  deliver  us  out  of  their  hands. 
So  my  dear  sister  arm  yourself  with  patience,  for  there 
is  no  other  remedy." 

By  this  discourse  of  Leonora  the  young  captive  was 
prevailed  on  to  make  the  best  of  her  condition.    She  found 

28 


326  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

every  thing  to  be  as  had  been  told  her.     She  continued 
in  durance  eighteen  months,  in  which  time  the  company 
lost  eleven  ladies,  and  gained  nineteen  new  ones.    When 
the  French  soldiers  threw  open  the  doors  of  their  prison, 
'*M.  Faulcant,"  says  she,  "  happily  for  me,  opened  the  door 
of  my  room,  and  from  the  moment  he  saw  me  shewed 
me  great  civility.     He  took  Leonora  and  me  to  his  own 
lodgings,  and  hearing  our  stories,  for  fear  things  would 
turn  to  our  disadvantage,  he  dressed  us  in  men's  clothes, 
and  sent  us  to  his  father's.     So  we  came  to  this  house, 
where  I  was  kept  two  years  as  the  old  man's  daughter, 
ti'U  M.  Faulcant's  regiment  being  broken  up,  he  came 
home,  and  two  months  after  married  me.     Leonora  was 
married  to  another  officer  and  went  to  live  at  Orleans.'^ 
"  From  the  above  it  appears,"  says  Mr.  Gavin,  "  that 
about  once  a  month  upon  an  average,  a  family  in  Sara- 
gossa  was  robbed  of  a  daughter  to  recruit  the  seraglio  of 
the  holy  fathers  of  the  inquisition.     This  narrative  does 
not  refer  to  the  dark  ages  of  popery,  the  thing  took  place 
but  about  a  hundred  years  ago,  and  who  can  tell  the 
misery  that  was  thus  inflicted  on  many  a  family  ? — In 
fact  there  could  be  no  such  thing  as  domestic  comfort  in 
any  country  where  the  inquisition  was  established.     It  is 
not  enough   that  every  young  lady  kept  at  home,  that 
she  did  not  so  much  as  show  her  face  at  a  window,  this 
would  certainly  have  made  her  a  victim  to  any  member 
of  the  holy  office  whose  spies  might  have  been  passing. 
Every  exposure  of  this  kind  therefore  was  most  carefully 
avoided.     But  this  did  not  serve  the  purpose  of  conceal- 
ing such  as  njight  be  desirable  inmates  of  the  inquisition. 
For  every  lady  was   required  to  make   confession  to  a 
priest  twice,  or  at  least  once  every  year,  the  priests  were 
all  dependants  of  the  holy  office,  they  were  in  short  the 
panders  of  lewdness  to  the  lords,  the  inquisitors,  and 
becoming,  by  means  of  confession,  acquainted  with  the 
name  and  circumstances   of  every  individual  in  every 
family,  it  was  easy  for  them  to  inform  their  superiors. 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  327 

where  they  might  obtain  a  victim  to  be  sacrificed  at  the 
shrine  of  their  lust3." 

The  holy  fathers  sometimes  required  parents  to  be  the 
informers  against  their  own  children,  and  sometimes  to 
banish  them  from  their  homes  from  parental  affection  for 
alleged  heresy.  The  following  account  of  the  conver- 
sion of  a  papist  to  protestantism,  and  his  consequent 
banishment  from  the  parental  roof,  will  illustrate  the 
persecuting  spirit  of  popery  in  this  respect.  Patrick 
Bradley,  the  person  in  view,  says  of  himself:  "In  my 
sixteenth  year,  I  was  by  the  advice  of  my  parents  and  the 
priest,  admitted  to  the  communion  of  the  church.  I  had 
then,  and  once  afterward,  a  specimen  of  auricular  confes- 
sion ;  to  these  two  events  of  my  life  I  look  back  with 
horror.  If  auricular  confession  be  at  all  times  conducted 
as  it  was  when  I  was  engaged  in  it,  I  have  no  hesitation 
in  saying,  that  I  consider  it  one  of  the  most  abominable 
and  corrupting  institutions  of  popery.  If  a  person  con- 
fessing hesitates  for  a  moment  through  defect  of  memory, 
or  through  the  feelings  of  shame,  the  father  confessor 
proposes  a  leading  question,  on  the  various  kinds  and 
degrees  of  iniquity,  and  thus  stimulates  the  reluctant 
devotee,  and  drags  from  him  or  her  the  inmost  secrets  of 
the  heart.  To  say  a  single  word  in  explanation  of  the 
questions  which  a  father  confessor  will  thus  propose  to  a 
young  man  or  woman,  to  husband  or  wife,  would  be  to 
imitate  his  vile  example.  You  will  perceive  at  a  single 
glance,  that  they  tend  to  increase  the  knowledge  of  the 
young  and  simple  in  -the  ways  of  transgression,  and  to 
render  vices  of  the  most  disgusting  and  injurious  kind 
familiar  to  all.  About  the  time  I  mention,  a  protestant 
friend  lent  me  three  sermons,  which  he  had  bought  from 
some  person  selling  tracts.  The  perusal  of  these  sermons 
produced  a  deep  and  painful  impression  on  my  mind. 
All  my  former  views  of  religion  were  distracted  and 
confounded,  and  new  views  of  sin  and  duty  were  forcibly 
pressed  upon  my  attention.     In  these  sermons  the  scrip- 


328  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

tures  seemed  to  me  to  speak  a  new  language,  and  to  pre- 
sent to  my  mind  an  entirely  new  scene  of  contemplation. 
I  determined  to  read  the  sermons  again  with. the  bible  in 
my  hand.  This  second  perusal  increased  the  pain  I  felt 
in  a  very  high  degree.  From  the  scriptures  I  found  I 
could  not  refute  the  doctrines  taught  in  these  sermons, 
and  to  admit  these  doctrines  to  be  true,  was,  according  to 
the  lessons  I  had  been  taught  from  my  infancy,  to  expose 
myself  to  all  the  horrors  of  eternal  damnation.  In  this 
state  of  mind  I  knew  not  what  to  do.  I  dared  not  con- 
sult my  parents ;  for  to  do  so  I  knew  was  to  bring  on 
myself  their  high  displeasure,  and  perhaps  all  the  sar- 
casm and  censure  of  my  ghostly  father.  And  to  apply 
to  any  protestant,  I  felt  was  in  some  measure  to  commit 
myself,  without  being  fully  persuaded  in  my  own  mind. 
By  my  manner  of  conducting  myself  for  some  time  I  had 
attracted  the  attention  of  my  mother.  Observing  my 
absence  from  mass,  and  hearing  of  my  attendance  at  pro- 
testant places  of  worship,  she  began  to  dread  the  very 
worst  o'f  me  that  a  popish  parent  can  dread  of  a  child — 
heresy.  It  was  on  sabbath  morning  that  she  first  spoke 
to  me  on  the  subject.  She  began  by  asking  me  if  I  was 
going  that  day  with  the  rest  of  the  family  to  prayers  ? 
At  that  moment  my  whole  frame  shook,  and  through 
fear  and  anxiety  I  found  myself  wholly  unable  to  speak. 
I  had  long  wished  for  such  an  opportunity  as  this,  to 
speak  to  my  tender  hearted  and  affectionate  mother,  on  a 
.subject  that  engrossed  my  whole  attention,  yet  when  it 
presented  itself  to  me  unexpectedly  I  found  myself  quite 
unable.  She  saw  my  confusion  and  was  grieved  to  the 
heart.  The  sorrow  I  saw  in  her  face  was  the  first  thing 
that  roused  me  from  the  stupor  into  which  I  had  sunk, 
and  I  said  to  her, — no,  I  am  not  going  with  the  rest  of 
the  family  to  prayers  to  day.  She  said,  why  ?  I  had 
been  reading  ih  the  new  testament  when  this  conversa- 
tion commenced,  and  holding  it  out  to  her — I  said, 
because  I  find  no  authority  for  mass  in  this  book.     She 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  329 

quickly  asked  what  book  it  was  I  was  reading  ?  And  I 
told  her.  She  then  felt  all  that  a  tender-hearted,  affec- 
tionate Roman  Catholic  mother  could  feel  in  such  cir- 
cumstances. And  I  find  sir,  nineteen  years  after  this 
interview,  that  I  have  not  nerves  to  proceed  with  the  story 
of  it. 

"  Of  the  part  I  had  now  acted,  the  priest  was  soon  in- 
formed, and  with  the  mild  and  merciful  spirit  of  his  order, 
he  passed  sentence  upon  me,  without  ever  condescending 
to  converse  with  me,  and  without  ever  making  a  single 
effort  to  enlighten  my  mind,  and  reclaim  me  from  my 
supposed  heresy.     The  sentence  which  he  passed,  Iwas 
informed,  was,  '  That  i  was  a  heretic,  and  must  be  ba- 
nished from  the  family  ;'  sagely  adding,  '  that  the  clean 
must  be  kept  from  the  unclean.'     This  sentence,  to  be 
communicated  to  me,  my  parents,  influenced  by  strong 
affection,  hesitated  to  carry  into  execution.     But  a  popish 
priest  knows  nothing  about  parental  affection,  and  cares 
less  about  it  in  such  a  case  as  this.    He  therefore  repeated 
the  sentence,  and  accompanied  the  repetition  with  consi- 
derations fitted  to  command  an  immediate  compliance. 
A  popish  priest  in  Ireland  is  never  at  loss  for  considera- 
tions to  influence  the  conduct  of  his  flock  in  matters  con- 
nected with  their  religion.     In  obedience,  therefore,  to 
the  repeated  commands  of  a  man  who  called  himself  a 
minister  of  the  gospel  of  peace,  and  who  professed  him- 
self a  disciple  of  the  meek  and  lowly  Jesus,  I  was  ba- 
nished from  my  father's  house  for  no  crime  but  that  of 
desiring  to  worship  the  God  that  made  me  according  to 
the  dictates  of  my  own  conscience.     I  believe  my  pa- 
rents thought  that  the  very  attempt  to  banish  me  from  the 
family  would  bring  me  to  immediate  submission,  and  that 
they,  on  that  account,  yielded  the  more  easily  to  the  com- 
mands of  the  priest.     In  the  affair  my  father  took  no 
direct  hand ;  the  painful  task  devolved  upon  my  mother, 
and  I  believe  was  devolved  upon  her  in  the  hope  that  her 
tenderness  and  affection  would  so  work  upon  my  feel- 

28* 


330  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

ings,  that  I  would  not  be  able  to  part  with  her.  On  the 
day  fixed  for  this  banishment,  she  rolled  up  a  small  par- 
cel of  linens,  and  desired  me,  with  an  aching  heart,  to 
accompany  her  on  a  short  journey.  I  did  so  ;  and  when 
about  a  mile  from  the  villag-e,  she  stopped  suddenly,  and 
made  the  last  appeal  to  my  feelings.  She  did  every  thing 
which  reasoning,  and  prayers,  and  tears,  could  do,  to  in- 
duce me  to  return  to  the  bosom  of  the  church,  out  of 
which  she  believed  and  declared  there  is  no  salvation. 
I  felt  deeply  and  wept  bitterly,  but  God  enabled  me  to  re- 
main faithful.  After  some  minutes  of  great  suffering  on 
both  sides,  we  parted,  and  I  was  not  permitted,  for  about 
two  years,  to  enter  my  father's  house,  though  I  had  often 
occasion  to  pass  very  near  it.  After  my  banishment 
from  my  father's  house,  the  Lord  provided  for  my  tem- 
poral support  in  a  manner  wonderfully  gracious.  '  When 
my  father  and  my  mother  forsook  me,  the  Lord  took  me 
■up.'  Indeed,  when  I  look  back,  which  I  frequently  do, 
upon  the  way  by  which  God  has  led  me,  I  must  consider 
myself  as  in  a  peculiar  manner  the  child  of  providence. 
God  has  often  brought  me,  when  blind,  by  a  way  which 
I  knew  not,  and  led  me  in  paths  that  I  had  not  known  ; 
he  has  often  made  darkness  light  before  me,  and  crooked 
things  strait." 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing  examples  of  popish  intole- 
rance and  persecution,  two  memorable  events  may  be 
mentioned,  which  are,  the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew's 
day  at  Paris,  and  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantz  by 
Louis  ^IV.^  king  of  France, -as  illustrative  of  the  spirit 
of  popery  as  developed  in  proportion  to  opportunity  and 
means.  With  a  brief  account  of  these  two  events,  the  pre- 
sent section  will  be  closed.  The  former  event,  viz.,  the 
massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew's  day,  is  so  connected  with 
preceding  events,  that  we  shall  need  to  take  a  concise 
view  of  those  antecedents. 

At  the  death  of  Henry  IL  of  France,  in  1559,  Fran- 
cis IL,  a  youth  of  sixteen  years,  feeble  both  in  body  and 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  331 

mind,  succeeded.  His  mother,  Catherine  de  Medicis, 
the  duke  of  Guise,  and  his  brother  the  cardinal  of  Lor- 
raine, all  decided  papists,  ruled  the  nation,  and  were 
zealously  bent  on  crushing  the  reformation,  and  extirpa- 
ting all  heretics.  The  king  of  Navarre,  the  prince  of 
Conde,  and  the  admiral  Coligni,  on  the  other  hand,  were 
friendly  to  the  reformers,  and  with  others  were  in  league 
to  overthrow  the  influence  of  the  Guises.  But,  as  usual 
in  such  conflicts,  the  friends  of  the  reformation  were  be- 
trayed, and  the  protestants  were  generally  involved  in 
persecution.  Many  perished,  numbers  fled  from  the 
country,  and  still  more  were  imprisoned,  robbed  of  their 
property,  and  variously  harassed  for  seventeen  months. 
In  1560,  Charles  IX.  commenced  his  reign,  and  being 
only  eleven  years  old  when  his  brother  died,  their  mother 
still  continued  regent.  To  secure  her  power  she  sought 
the  friendship  of  the  king  of  Navarre,  and  of  the  pro- 
testants.  She  needed  money,  and  the  states  general  were 
assembled  the  following  year  ;  but  they  did  nothing  but 
wrangle.  The  papists  denianded  the  extirpation  of  all 
heretics,  and  the  protestants  demanded  toleration.  The 
court  issued  a  decree  forbidding  religious  disputes,  re- 
leasing imprisoned  protestants,  and  allowing  toleration  to 
all  who  would  externally  conform  to  the  established  reli- 
gion, unless  they  chose  to  quit  the  country.  In  1562  a 
national  convention  assembled  at  St.  Germain,  and  agreed 
that  the  protestants  should  be  allowed  to  hold  private 
worship,  till  a  general  council  should  decide  all  religioiis 
disputes.  The  protestants  were  not  quite  satisfied  with 
this,  but  the  papists  were  outrageous.  Tumults  ensued. 
The  king  of  Navarre,  to  gain  an  addition  to  his  territory, 
abandoned  the  protestants,  and  summoned  the  duke  of 
Guise  to  the  capital  to  suppress  the  tumults.  He  obeyed, 
and  passing  through  Vassi  m  Champaigne,  he  found  an 
assembly  holding  worship  in  a  barn.  His  soldiers  com- 
menced a  quarrel  with  them,  and  then  murdered  260  of 
their  number.     A  civil  war  now  broke  out.     The  pro- 


332  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

testants  made  Orleans  their  head-quarters,  and  had  the 
prince  of  Conde  and  admiral  Coligni  for  leaders  ;  v'hile 
the  papists  were  commanded  by  the  duke  of  Guise,  the 
king  of  Navarre,  and  the  constable  Montmorency.  Much 
blood  was  shed,  many  towns  were  taken  and  ravaged. 
The  king  of  Navarre  fell  in  battle,  the  duke  of  Guise 
was  assassinated.  Montmorency  and  Conde  were  both 
taken  prisoners.  After  some  other  changes,  a  peace  was 
concluded  in  1570,  on  the  principle  of  amnesty  for  the 
past,  a  free  toleration  of  the  protestants  everywhere,  a 
limited  right  to  except  against  popish  judges,  and  the 
possession  of  four  cities  for  two  years,  to  be  garrisoned 
by  protestants.  This  treaty  on  the  part  of  the  papists 
was  a  lure ;  and  to  lull  the  protestants  the  more  into  se- 
curity, the  court  now  enforced  the  treaty  with  much  ap- 
parent zeal ;  for  they  were  resolved  to  effect  by  treach- 
ery what  they  could  not  effect  by  power.  A  marriage 
was  proposed  between  the  young  king  of  Navarre,  who, 
since  the  death  of  his  father,  had  espoused  the  protestant 
cause,  and  the  sister  of  the  king  of  France.  By  this 
means  the  king  of  Navarre,  the  admiral  Coligni,  and  the 
young  prince  of  Conde,  were  drawn  to  the  court  as 
guesl-s.  This  was  a  step  preparatory  to  the  tragical 
scene  which  was  to  follow,  which  was  no  less  than  the 
murder  of  all  these  illustrious  personages  and  their 
friends  in  the  city,  while  they  were  put  off  their  guard, 
and  were  reposing  confidence  in  the  pledged  faith  and 
hospitality  of  papists.  The  bloody  work  began  at  mid 
night,  on  St.  Bartholomew's  day,  August  22,  1572.  The 
signal  was  the  tolling  of  the  great  bell  of  the  palace,  and 
the  butchery  continued  three  days.  Coligni  was  the  first 
victim.  With  him,  five  hundred  noblemen,  and  six  thou 
sand  other  protestants,  were  murdered  in  Paris  alone. 
Orders  were  despatched  to  different  parts  of  the  kingdom 
for  a  similar  massacre.  More  than  thirty  thousand,  and 
some  say  seventy  thousand,  perished  by  the  hand  of  the 
assassins.     The  pope,  hearing  of  this  glorious  news,  was 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  333 

SO  delighted,  that  he  proclaimed  a  jubilee  throughout  all 
Christendom.  He  also  ordered  a  medal  to  be  struck  ofi' 
in  commemoration  of  this  event,  so  sweet  to  his  feelings. 
On  one  side  of  the  medal  was  a  well  defined  profile  of  his 
own  face,  and  on  the  other  the  figure  of  an  angel  de- 
scending from  heaven,  wieldin'g  a  great  sword  in  the 
blessed  work  of  mowing  down  protestants.  This,  it  is 
presumed,  must  have  been  a  popish  angel ;  the  departed 
spirit  of  Nero,  perhaps  ;  for  good  angels  never  have  been 
known  to  engage  in  killing  men  for  their  religious  belief. 
They  are  ministering  spirits,  sent  forth  to  minister  to 
them  that  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation.  But  no  doubt  the 
pope  might  find  those  among  his  demons  whom  he  Avor- 
ships,  that  would  readily  join  him  in  such  work»^ 

But  nothing  could  exceed  the  rejoicings  of  the  papists 
when  they  saw  their  opponents  thus  basely  betrayed,  and 
barbarously  murdered.  They  imagined  that  in  this  car- 
nage they  saw  the  subversion  of  the  protestant  cause,  and 
their  owil  triumph.  In  this,  however  they  were  sorely 
disappointed*  The  protestants  were  weakened  but  not 
crushed,  and  the  horrid  deed  accomplished  little  else 
than  to  illustrate  the  genius  of  popery  to  all  future  gene- 
rations. 

The  protestant  chiefs  losing  all  confidence  in  papists, 
and  in  the  government  under  their  influence,  entered  into 
combinations  for  their  own  safety.  The  prince  of  Conde, 
who  had  been  imprisoned,  escaped,  and  went  into  Ger- 
many to  form  alliances  in  behalf  of  his  friends.  Charles 
the  IX.  died  and  was  succeeded  by  Henry  III.,  a  disso- 
lute man  and  a  violent  papist.  Civil  war  again  raged. 
But  in  the  result,  the  protestants  gained  more  freedom  of 
worship.  The  papists  grieved  at  this,  entered  into  al- 
liance with  the  king  of  Spain  and  the  pope,  and  obliged 
the  king  to  abrogate  his  decrees  in  favor  of  the  protes- 
tants. The  war  was  renewed,  and  again  in  the  result, 
the  protestants  gained  their  point.  This  led  the  papists 
again  to  the  king  of  Spain  with  whom  they  formed  a 


334  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

league  to  extirminate  the  protestants  and  overturn  the  go- 
vernment. After  the  death  of  Henry  III.,  the  king  of 
Navarre  was  next  heir  to  the  crown,  which  he  assumed 
under  the  title  of  Henry  IV.  To  effect  a  peace,  he 
professed  the  popish  faith,  but  gave  a  free  toleration  to 
all  his  protestant  subjects.  In  1598,  he  published  the 
edict  of  Nantz,  as  the  basis  of  protestant  liberty,  and  by 
it  he  confirmed  all  the  privileges  ever  before  conceded  to 
them  ;  gave  them  equal  civil  rights,  equal  privileges  in 
the  universities  and  public  schools,  made  them  eligible 
to  all  public  offices,  and  allowed  them  to  establish  places 
of  worship,  in  places  of  a  particular  description  through- 
out the  realm.  He  also  gave  them  an  annual  stipend  of 
about  40,000  crowns  for  the  support  of  their  ministers. 
And  though  the  papists  murmured  and  endeavored  to 
infringe  on  these  privileges,  Henry  protected  the  protes- 
tant cause  to  the  end  of  his  reign. 

This  edict  of  Nantz  was  an  occasion  of  as  great  grief  to 
the  papists  as  the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew  had  been 
of  joy.  But  they  never  found  an  opportunity  to  pro- 
cure its  abrogation  till  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV.,  grand- 
son to  Henry  IV.,  who  granted  the  edict.  Cardinal 
Richelieu  the  prime  minister  under  Louis  XIII.,  set 
himself  to  accomplish  the  ruin  of  the  protestant  cause  in 
France.  He  made  war  upon  the  protestants  contrary  to 
former  treaties.  And  at  length  reduced  their  principal 
fortress,  Rochelle.  Not  satisfied  with  this  success,  he 
next  attacked  their  religion,  demanding  that  they  should 
return  to  the  papal  church,  or  be  considered  enemies  to 
^he  state.  At  first,  milder  measures  were  resorted  to, 
such  as  promises,  and  conciliatory  expositions  of  doc- 
trines, particularly  offensive  to  the  reformed  churches. 
Richelieu  spared  no  pains  or  arts  which  he  thought 
would  have  any  influence,  to  draw  the  reformed  by  strata- 
gem and  deception  to  return  to  the  popish  church. 
But  as  little  was  eftected  by  these  measures,  the  popish 
bishops  resorted  to  the  most  unrighteous  laws,  and  all 


HISTORY  OF  POPERY.  335 

possible  measures  of  vexation  and  persecution  which 
were  in  their  power,  gradually  to  exhaust  the  people, 
and  compel  them  from  necessity  if  not  from  choice  to  join 
the  popish  standard.  Many  yielded,  being  overcome  by 
their  grievous  sufferings,  others  left  the  country,  but 
most  remained  firm  in  the  religion  of  their  fathers.  At 
length  under  Louis  XIV.,  after  all  artifices  had  been  ex- 
hausted, the  popish  prelates  and  the  Jesuits,  who  then 
bore  sway  in  the  counsels  of  the  king,  determined  that 
this  people,  the  protestants  of  France,  must  be  extermina- 
ted by  violence,  and  crushed  by  a  single  stroke.  Over- 
come by  their  arguments  and  solicitations,  the  king,  in 
the  year  1685,  with  the  approbation  and  applause  of  the 
Roman  Pontiff,  in  violation  of  all  laws  human  and  divine, 
revoked  the  edict  of  Nantz,  and  commanded  his  reformed 
subjects  to  return  to  the  arms  of  popery.  This  was-  the 
signal  for  distress  and  violence  to  the  protestants  through- 
out the  kingdom.  Vast  multitudes  of  French  people 
were  compelled  to  leave  their  country  and  to  wander  into 
various  parts  of  Europe,  ahd  into  the  wilds  of  America,  to 
find  an  asylum  from  cruel  persecution.  Soldiers  were 
despatched  into  all  parts  of  the  kingdom  to  make  con- 
verts to  popery  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet.  Every  spe- 
cies of  torture,  vexation  and  suffering  was  inflicted  on 
the  poor  persecuted  protestants,  to  make  them  profess 
with  their  lips,  and  adopt  in  outward  forms,  a:  religion 
which  they  abhorred  in  their  hearts.  Great  pains  were 
taken  to  prevent  their  escape  from  the  country,  for  the 
papists  would  admit  of  no  alternative  but  to  submit,  br 
die.  But  after  all  their  vigilance,  from  half  a  million  to 
a  million  are  supposed  to  have  found  means  to  reach 
foreign  countries.  And  some  of  the  best  families  in  these 
United  States  came  to  this  country  and  adopted  it  as  their 
own  in  consequence  of  this  persecution.  And  those  who 
could  not  escape,  were  butchered  in  great  numbers,  or 
compelled  to  abjure  their  faith  to  save  their  lives.  Thus 
treaties  and  oaths,   and  promises  the  most  solemn  that 


336  HISTORY  OP  POPERY. 

man  can.  make,  was  violated  by  the  papists  without  com- 
punction, when  the  opportunity  offered,  and  their  inter- 
ests seen^ed  to  demand.  Such  is  the  genius  of  popery. 
It  has  always  invariably  manifested  a  persecuting  and 
intolerant  spirit,  so  far  as  circumstances  would  admit, 
and  has  carried  its  persecutions  to  all  the  extremes  of  bar- 
barous cruelty  and  savage  malignity.  No  one  has  ever 
been  able  to  live  peaceably  with  a  papist,  in  the  exercise 
of  his  own  rights  of  conscience,  without  the  shield  of  civil 
power,  constantly  over  him  for  protection.  And  from 
observation,  as  well  as  from  the  very  nature  and  princi- 
ples of  popery,  it  is  very  certain  that  no  one  ever  will 
enjoy  toleration  from  popery  only  as  a  matter  of  neces- 
sity. 


SECTION   IX. 

SUPERSTITIONS    OF    POPERY. 

Under  the  above  geiieral  denomination,  it  is  proposed 
to  treat  of  a  variety  of  institutions  and  practices  of  popery, 
which  have  not  yet  come  into  view.  And  the  first  of 
these  is 

MoNASTicisM. — By  this  term  we  understand  a  prac- 
tice, adopted  very  extensively  by  papists,  and  at  length 
by  a  law  of  general  council,  erected  into  a  permanent  in- 
stitution of  popery,  wherein  persons  of  both  sexes  sepa- 
rate themselves  from  the  common  duties  and  relations  of 
life,  to  a  life  of  perpetual  celibacy,  poverty,  and  as  they 
say,  devotion.  Monasticism  involves  three  vows  which 
are  considered  essential  to  its  existence,  and  binding  on 
all  its  devotees.  These  are,  poverty^  chastity  and  obedi- 
ence to  a  superior.  Males  who  assume  the  monastic 
vows  are  called  monks.  Females  who  assume  these 
vows  are  called  nuns.  There  have  been  many  different 
orders  of  monastic  persons  in  the  papal  thurch,  some  of 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  337 

the  principal  of  which  have  been  already  mentioned  in 
the  preceding  historical  sketch.  What  is  now  in  view, 
is  to  give  an  outline  of  the  origin,  nature,  and  conse- 
quences of  monasticism  in  general.  "  Among  the  cor- 
ruptions which  were  early  introduced  into  the  Christian 
church,"  says  a  late  writer,  "  monasticism  holds  a  promi- 
nent place  ;  an  invention  which  is  equally  incompatible 
with  the  constitution  of  man,  the  welfare  of  the  social  sys- 
tem, and  the  design  of  Christianity.  The  religion  of  the 
gospel  is  an  active  religion,  adapted  to  the  existing  state 
of  society,  and  never  intended  to  interfere  with  the  ordi- 
nary relations  and  duties  of  life.  The  Saviour  did  not 
pray  that  his  disciples  might  be  taken  out  of  the  world, 
but  that  they  might  be  kept  from  the  evil.  Instead  of 
withdrawing  from  his  fellows,  and  thinking  to  serve  the 
divine  being  better  by  mere  acts  of  contemplation  and 
devotion,  the  Christian  is  commanded  not  to  be  slothful  in 
biisiness,  while  they  are  fervent  in  spirit  serving  the 
Lord ;  to  combine  the  active  with  the  contemplative,  to 
abide  in  his  calling  with  God,  and  to  fulfil  the  respec- 
tive obligations  arising  out  of  the  domestic  and  social 
state.  The  religion  of  the  bible,  is  not  hostile  to  the  laws 
of  nature,  or  to  the  general  intentions  of  divine  provi- 
dence." 

To  the  above  remarks  may  be  added,  that  God  has 
expressly  commanded,  "that  if  any  man  do  not  work, 
(i  e.  contribute  by  his  own  exertions  of  body  or  mind,  to 
his  own  wants,  or  the  public  weal),neither  shall  he  eat." 
This  law  of  course  applies  to  all  who  have  physical 
power  of  compliance.  If  then  monks  and  nuns  can  live, 
and  are  willing  to  abide  the  consequences  of  living  with- 
out food  or  clothing,  there  would  be  more  consistency 
in  the  course  they  adopt;  though  even  then  it  would  be 
wholly  unjustifiable,  as  a  dereliction  of  duty  to  God. 
But  while  the  monk  is  engaged  in  his  solitary  contem- 
plations, if  he  really  do  so,  some  body  must  be  laboring 
so  much  harder  to  furnish  him  with  the  necessaries  of 

29 


338  HISTORY    OF    POPERV. 

life.  If  he  then  gains  any  thing  by  this  course,  he  gains 
it  by  another's  loss.  And  what  propriety  or  utility  is 
there  in  this  arrangement  which  adds  nothing  to  the 
general  good.  This  however,  is  viewing  the  subject  in 
the  fairest  light.  Does  the  monk  really  gain  any  thing 
to  himself?  Facts  will  answer  this  question.  So  far 
from  gaining  any  thing,  monasticism  has  done  incalcula- 
ble mischief  to  its  own  votaries,  as  well  as  to  communities. 
Monks  and  nuns  have  made  vows  indeed  of  chastity  and 
poverty  ;  but  have  they  kept  them  ?  In  a  general  view, 
it  is  well  known  to  every  reader  of  ecclesiastical  history, 
that  these  vows  have  been  systematically  and  shamelessly 
broken.  They  have  professed  to  live  in  contemplation 
and  devotion  and  self-mortification.  This  in  a  few 
instances  may  have  been  the  fact.  But  in  general  they 
have  been  notorious  for  vice,  for  being  busy-bodies  in 
other  men's  matters,  and  shamefully  luxurious  and  licen- 
tious. The  whole  concern,  then  has  been  worse  than  a 
dead  loss  to  the  world.  Better,  far  better  both  to  themselves 
and  the  world,  had  it  been  if  most  who  have  devoted 
themselves  to  monasticism,  had  never  been  born.  Besides, 
God  created  man  male  and  female,  and  this  he  did  for 
some  important  purpose.  Have  men  a  right  to  annul 
this  arrangement  of  divine  providence,  and  to  frustrate  its 
design  ;  and  are  they  warrfinted  to  suppose  that  such  a 
course  is  peculiarly  acceptable  to  God,  unless  indicated 
by  some  special  manifestation  of  the  divine  will?  What 
pleasure  does  the  Deity  take  in  the  celibacy  of  men 
or  women,  by  which  his  arrangement  in  creation  and 
in  providence  is  desecrated  from  its  proper  use  and 
diverted  from  its  proper  channel  ?  Is  this  the  way  to 
please  God  or  to  render  ourselves  acceptable  to  him  ? 
The  system  of  monasticism  is  all  founded  in  pride  and 
self-righteousness.  Popish  convents  it  is  true  are  often 
filled  with  females,  whose  choice  of  that  life  is  apparently 
influenced  by  a  powerful  feeling  of  devotion  and  deadness 
to  the  world.     But  what  are  the  motives  set  before  them 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  339 

to  induce  this  feeling  ?  They  are  told,  in  the  presence 
of  an  admiring  assembly  that  they  are  to  become  the 
spouse  of  Christ,  and  to  enter  on  a  state  of  almost  angelic 
purity,  and  that  separated  from  the  temptations  and  sins 
of  the  world,  they  will  possess  every  facility  for  accom- 
plishing their  salvation,  and  increasing  their  merit  in  the 
sight  of  God.  Now,  supposing  this  to  be  their  real 
motive  when  they  enter  on  this  course  of  life,  and  that 
they  are  wholly  unacquainted  with  the  depths  of  Satan 
into  which  they  are  about  to  plunge,  yet  what  is  their 
motive,  to  say  nothing  of  its  delusion  and  its  gross  irreve- 
rence, what  is  it  but  a  piece  of  self-righteousness  ?  What 
better  in  spirit  or  principle  than  the  practice  of  the 
Hindoo  female  who  devotes  herself  to  the  funeral  pile,  or 
of  him  who'  casts  himself  before  the  w'heels  of  the  car 
of  Juggernaut  ? 

With  these  preliminary  remarks,  we  proceed  to  exa- 
mine the  features  of  monasticism  more  in  detail. 

The  monastic  spirit  first  appeared  in  a  sect  of  fanatical 
Jews,  called  Therapentae,  who  claimed  to  be  disciples  of 
Moses,  notwithstanding  their  wide  departure  from  him. 
They  gave  up  all  their  property  and  retired  to  solitary 
places,  where  they  lived  in  huts,  without  any  external 
worship,  and  without  labor ;  mortifying  their  bodies  by 
fasting,  and  their  souls  by  contemplation,  in  order  to  bring 
the  heaven-born  spirit,  now  imprisoned  in  the  body,  into 
light  and- liberty,  and  fit  it  for  the  celestial  mansions  after 
death.  They  assembled  together  every  seventh  day  of 
the  week,  and  after  religious  ceremonies,  they  ate  to- 
gether, feeding  on  salt  with  bread  and  water.  This  meal 
was  followed  by  a  sacred  dance  which  continued  through 
the  night.  At  first  the  men  and  women  danced  apart, 
but  at  length,  guided,  as  they  claimed,  by  inspiration, 
they  joined  together  in  this  exercise,  and  labored  by 
violent  outcries,  songs,  and  movements,  to  express  the 
love  of  God  working  in  their  hearts. 

We  next  find  tl^e  monastic  spirit  operating  in  the  sect 


340  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

of  professing  Christians  called  mystics,  which  arose  in  the 
second  century.  Origen  imprudently  attempted  to  mingle 
the  Platonic  philosophy  with  Christianity,  and  thus  pro- 
duced a  spurious  mixture  called  mysticism.  Ammonius 
Saccas,  the  leader  of  the  Platonic  school,  taught  the  wise 
who  aimed  at  superior  attainments,  that  they  must,  by 
means  of  contemplation,  elevate  their  souls,  which  were 
the  offspring  of  God,  above  all  earthly  things,  and  to 
weaken  and  emaciate  their  bodies,  which  were  hostile  to 
the  liberty  of  their  souls,  by  means  of  hunger,  thirst, 
labor,  and  other  austerities,  so  that  they  might  in  the 
present  life  attain  to  communion  with  God,  and  ascend 
after  death  active  and  unincumbered,  to  the  universal 
parent,  and  be  forcA^er  united  to  him.  This  scheme  in- 
fected at  length  the  Christian  church,  and  laid  a  founda- 
tion for  the  idea  that  piety  was  greatly  promoted  by 
ignorance  and  idleness.  This  sentiment  was  afterwards 
adopted  by  the  orders  of  monks,  and  became  the  inlet  to 
many  of  the  superstitions  of  popery.  After  this  sentiment 
had  gained  influence  among  professed  Christians,  in  the 
beginning  of  the  fourth  century,  a  vast  multitude  of 
monks  and  sacred  virgins  spread  themselves  with  aston- 
ishing rapidity  over  the  whole  Christian  world.  In  a 
short  time  the  east  swarmed  with  persons,  who  abandon- 
ing the  occupations  and  conveniences  of  life,  and  all 
intercourse  with  society,  pined  away  amidst  various 
hardships,  hunger  and  sufferings,  in  order  to  attain  to  a 
more  close  communion  with  God  and  the  angels.  The 
Christian  world  would  have  remained  free  from  these 
tortures  of  mind  and  body,  had  not  that  great,  fascinating 
doctrine  of  ancient  philosophy  obtained  influence  among 
Christians,  that,  to  attain  to  happiness  and  communion 
with  God,  the  soul  must  be  freed  from  the  influence  of 
the  body,  and  for  this  purpose,  the  body  must  be  subdued 
by  severity.  From  this  time,  monasteries  in  the  east  and 
west,  began  to  arise,  and  orders  of  monks  to  be  formed, 
and  the  system   in  its  moral  tendencies  began    to  bo 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  341 

unfolded.  The  monks  were  early  divided  into  the 
Coenobites  and  the  Eremites.  The  former  dwelt  together 
in  the  same  house  under  a  common  leader  or  father,  who 
was  called  abbot.  The  latter  led  a  cheerless,  solitary 
life  in  the  wilderness,  dwelling  in  hovels  and  among  the 
wild  beasts.  Another  class  or  order  called  Anchorites, 
went  still  further  in  their  austerities.  They  had  no  kind 
of  shelter,  fed  on  roots  and  plants,  and  had  no  fixed  resi- 
dence, but  lodged  wherever  night  overtook  them.  They 
were  vagrants  who  roamed  about  the  country,  and 
obtained  their  living  by  practising  various  impositions. 
The  Coenobites  were  notorious  for  their'vicious,  profligate 
practices.  Their  social  intercourse  soon  degenerated  in 
bacchanalian  revels,  and  scenes  of  debauchery.  The  other 
orders  of  Eremites  and  Anchorites,  were  either  fanatics, 
or  knaves  and  impostors.  And  yet  on  account  of  their 
professions  merely,  they  were  accounted  persons  of  great 
sanctity,  and  so  great  was  their  reputation  in  this  respect, 
that  though  they  had  been  originally  laymen,  many  of 
them  were  received  into  the  order  of  the  priesthood,  and 
the  bishops  were  often  taken  from  their  ranks.  The 
erection  of  edifices,  where  monks  and  nuns  might  serve 
God  was  carried  beyond  all  bounds.  As  they  became 
popular  they  became  rich,  and  as  a  natural  consequence, 
vicious  ;  so  that  as  early  as  the  fifth  century  the  licen- 
tiousness of  monasteries  became  proverbial. 

When  popery  had  developed  itself,  and  had  taken  full 
possession  by  the  grant  of  the  tyrant  Phocas  and  some 
of  his  successors,  as  has  been  narrated,  it  seized  upon 
monasticism  as  one  of  its  chief  supports,  and  has  ever 
since  found  the  monks  and  nuns  a  kind  of  standing  spi- 
ritual militia,  or  life-guard.  "  The  partiality  of  the  pope 
for  the  monastic  orders,"  says  a  late  writer,  "  is  easily 
accounted  for.  They  constitute  a  peculiar  and  distinct 
body,  so  estranged  from  society  that  they  can  give  undi- 
vided attention  and  solicitude  to  any  object  that  is  pre- 
sented to  their  notice ;  and  that  object  has  universally 

29* 


242  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

It  is  related  by  Bernardine,  that  Mary  herself  once 
appeared  to  St.  Thomas  Becket,  and  spake  as- follows. 
"  Rejoice  and  be  glad  and  be  joyful  with  me  !"  said  the 
virgin  Mary,  "  because  my  glory  doth  excel  the  dignity 
of  all  the  saints,  and  all  the  blessed  spirits,  and  I  alone 
have  greater  glory  than  all  the  angels  and  saiij.ts  togeth- 
er. Rejoice,  because,  that  as  the  sun  doth  enlighten  the 
day,  and  the  world,  so  my  brightness  doth  enlighten  the 
whole  celestial  world  !  Rejoice,  because  the  whole  host 
of  heaven  obeyeth  me,  reverenceth  and  honoreth  me  ! 
Rejoice,  because  my  son  is  always  obedient  to  me  and 
my  will,  and  my  prayers  he  always  heareth  !"  or  as  oth- 
ers do  relate,  "  the  will  of  the  blessed  Trinity  and  mine 
is  the  same,  and  whatsoever  doth  please  me,  the  whole 
Trinity,  with  unspeakable  favor,  doth  give  consent  unto. 
Rejoice,  because  God  doth  always,  at  my  pleasure,  re- 
ward my  servitors  in  this  world,  and  in  the  world  to 
come  !  Rejoice,  because  I  sit  next  to  the  Holy  Trinity, 
and  am  clothed  Avith  my  body  glorified  !  Rejoice,  be- 
cause I  am  certain  and  sure  that  these  my  joys  will 
always  stand,  and  never  be  finished  nor  fajl !  And  who- 
soever, by  rejoicing  with  those  spiritual  joys,  shall  wor- 
ship me  in  this  world,  at  the  time  of  the  departure  of  his 
soul  out  of  the  body,  he  shall  obtain  my  presence,  and  I 
will  deliver  his  soul  from  the  malignant  enemies,  and 
present  it,  in  the  sight  of  my  son,  that  it  may  possess  joys 
with  me."  They  tell  us  that  many  that  would  not  sin 
on  Saturday,  for  the  reverence  of  the  virgin,  whatever 
they  did  on  the  Lord's  day,  seem  to  have  blessed  the 
virgin  in  greater  veneration,  than  Christ  her  son,  moved 
thereunto,  out  of  simplicity  more  than  out  of  know- 
ledge. Yet  that  the  son  of  God  doth  bear  with  the  sim- 
plicity of  those  men  and  women,  because  he  is  not  igno- 
rant that  the  honor  of  the  mother  doth  redound  to  the 
child.  They  argue  farther,  that  if  a  cardinal  have  this 
privilege,  that  if  he  put  his  cap  upon  the  head  of  any  one 
that  is  led  unto  justice,  he  is  freed  thereby,  then  by  an  ar- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  243 

gument  drawn  from  the  stronger,  the  cloak  of  the  blessed 
virgin  is  able  to  deliver  us  from  all  evil,  her  mercy 
being  so-  large,  that  if  she  should  see  any  man  who  did 
devoutly  make  her  crown,  (that  is  to  say,  repeat  the  rosa- 
ry or  chaplet  of  prayers  made  for  her  worship,)  to  be 
drawn  unto  punishment  in  the  midst  of  a  thousand  devils, 
she  would  presently  rescue  him,  and  not  permit  that  any 
one  should  have  any  evil  end,  who  did  study  reverently 
to  make  her  crown.  They  add  moreover,  that  for  every 
one  of  these  crowns,  a  man  shall  obtain  two  hundred  and 
seventy  three  thousand,  seven  hundred  and  fifty-eight 
days  of  indulgence  ;  and  that  Pope  Sixtus  IV.  granted 
an  indulgence  of  twelve  thousand  years  for  every  time 
that  a  man,  in  a  state  of  grace,  should  repeat  this  short 
orison  or  salutation  of  the  Virgin,  which  by  many  is 
inserted  in  her  crown,  viz.  "  Hail  most  holy  Mary,  the 
mother  of  God,  the  queen  of  heaven,  the  gate  of  paradise, 
the  lady  of  the  world,  thou  art  a  singular  and  pure  vir- 
gin, thou  didst  bear  Christ  wdthout  sin  ;  thou  didst  bear 
the  Creator  and  Saviour  of  the  world,  in  whom  I  do  not 
doubt.  Deliver  me  from  all  evil  and  pray  for  my  sins. 
Amen." 

In  the  crown  composed  by  Bonaventure,  the  following 
is  one  of  the  orisons  prescribed  to  be  said.  "  O  empress, 
and  our  most  holy  lady,  by  the  authority  of  a  mother, 
command  thy  beloved  son,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that 
he  would  vouchsafe  to  lift  up  our  minds  from  the  love  of 
earthly  things  unto  heavenly  desires,  which  is  suitable 
unto  that  verse  which  we  read  in  the  35th  Psalm  of  his 
lady's  Psalm.  Incline  the  countenance  of  God  upon  us, 
and  compel  him  to  have  mercy  upon  sinners."  It  must 
here  be  stated  by  explanation,  that  a  Psalter  has  been 
composed  by  papists  for  the  express  worship  of  Mary,  in 
which  those  passages  that  are  usually  directed  to  the  only 
wise  God,  are  applied  to  the  virgin.  The  above  quo- 
tation is  from  this  book.  The  expression  compel,  seemed 
a  little  too  harsh  for  modern  ears,  so  that  it  has  been 


344  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

shameless  inconsistency,  to  which  the  history  of  man 
affords  few,  if  any,  parallels.  But  so  great  was  the  su- 
perstition about  the  mortification  of  the  body,  and  such 
the  fame  of  sanctity  attached  to  the  bare  profession  of 
abstinence,  that  very  soon  it  became  essential,  in  public 
estimation,  to  a  life  of  religion.  A  prejudice  against 
married  clergymen  began  extensively  to  prevail.  And 
this  was  carefully  cherished  by  the  popes.  Those  priests 
who  had  wives  were  at  first  deemed  inferior  to  their 
brethren  who  had  not ;  and  finally,  they  were  deemed 
unfit  for  their  office.  Long  and  arduous  were  the  strug- 
gles which  ensued ;  but  the  pope  and  Satan  finally  pre- 
vailed on  this  point,  and  the  celibacy  and  professed  chas- 
tity of  priests  were  the  established  law  of  the  popish 
kingdom. 

The  following  decrees  show  the  light  in  which  the 
council  of  Trent 'viewed  the  subject  now  under  exami- 
nation : — "  IX.  Decree.  Whoever  shall  affirm  that  per- 
sons in  holy  orders,  or  regulars,  who  have  made  a  so- 
lemn profession  of  chastity,  may  contract  marriage,  and 
that  the  contract  is  valid,  notwithstanding  any  ecclesias- 
tical law  or  vow ;  and  that  to  maintain  the  contrary  is 
nothing  less  than  to  condemn  marriage ;  and  that  all 
persons  may  marry,  who  feel  that,  though  they  should 
make  a  vow  of  chastity,  they  have  not  the  gift  thereof; 
let  him  be  accursed.  For  God  does  not  deny  his  gifts 
to  those  who  ask  aright,  neither  does  he  suffer  us  to  be 
tempted  above  what  we  are  able.  X.  Decree.  Who- 
ever shall  affirm  that  the  conjugal  state  is  to  be  preferred 
to  a  state  of  virginity  or  celibacy,  and  that  it  is  not  bet- 
ter and  more  conducive  to  happiness  to  remain  in  vir- 
ginity or  celibacy,  than  to  be  married,  let  him  be  ac- 
cursed." Concerning  the  divine  injunction — "Be  fruit- 
ful and  multiply,"  &c. — the  popish  catechism  has  the  fol- 
lowing comment : — "  This  injunction  does  not  impose  on 
every  individual  the  obligation  to  marry ;  they  declare  the 
object  of  the  institution  of  marriage ;  and  now  that  the 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  345 

human  race  is  widely  diffused,  not  only  is  there  no  law 
rendering  marriage  obligatory,  but  on  the  contrary,  vir- 
ginity is  highly  exalted,  and  strongly  recommended  in 
scripture  as  superior  to  marriage,  as  a  state  of  greater 
perfection  and  holiness."  If  this  is  true,  then  surely 
every  person  ought  to  aim  at  it,  and  is  under  obligation 
to  practice  it,  because  every  one  is  bound  to  aim  at  a  state 
of  the  greatest  attainable  perfection.  And  if  celibacy  is 
that  state  for  man,  what  can  exonerate  every  man  and 
woman  from  the  obligation?  Where,  then,  in  a  few 
years,  would  be  the  wide  extension  of  the  human  race? 
Even  popery  itself  must  become  extinct  for  want  of  sub- 
jects, if  this  rule  of  holiness  were  universal.  It  cannot, 
then,  be  the  general  rule  of  holiness ,  nor  is  it  a  state 
most  favorable  to  holiness,  especially  when  voluntary 
without  any  special  occasion  in  providence.  God  has 
fixed  the  law  of  marriage  in  the  physical  constitution  of 
man,  and  it  is  a  law  which  cannot,  in  ordinary  cases,  be 
neglected  or  avoided,  without  exposure  at  least  to  moral 
evils  of  the  greatest  magnitude.  This  is  enough  to  de- 
monstrate the  obligation  so  far  as  circumstances  will  per- 
mit. And  notwithstanding  the  curses  of  popery,  even  if 
they  were  multiplied  an  hundred  fold,  every  man  of  sense 
and  honesty  will  affirm  that  a  conjugal  state  is  greatly  to 
be  preferred  to  a  state  of  celibacy,  both  as  a  mea«s  of 
happiness  and  holiness.  God  does  not  keep  us  from 
temptation  when  we  voluntarily  run  into  it,  and  expose 
ourselves  to  the  devices  of  Satan. 

The  laws  of  popery  respecting  monasteries  and  con- 
vents, and  those  who  assume  vows,  are  very  rigid  and 
severe.  They  say  that  nunneries  shall  be  kept  carefully 
closed,  and  egress  be  absolutely  forbidden  to  the  nuns  un- 
der any  pretence  whatsoever,  without  special  license,  .on 
pain  of  excommunication.  Magistrates  being  enjoined, 
under  the  same  penalty,  to  assist  the  bishops,  if  neces- 
sary, by  employing  force ;  and  the  latter  being  urged  to 
their  duty  by  the  fear  of  the  judgment  of  God,  and  the 


346  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

eternal  curse,  •'  That  if  any  monk  or  nun  pretended  that 
they  had  taken  the  vows  under  the  influence  of  force  or 
fear,  or  before  the  age  appointed  by  law,  they  should  not 
be  heard,  except  within  five  years  of  their  profession ; 
if  they  laid  aside  the  habit  of  their  own  accord,  they 
should  not  be  permitted  to  make  the  complaint,  but  be 
compelled  to  return  to  the  monastery,  and  be  punished  as 
apostates,  and  in  the  mean  time,  deprived  of  all  the  pri- 
vileo-es  of  their  order." 

It  may  be  said,  perhaps,  that  none  came  under  these 
regulations  but  by  their  own  voluntary  act.  But  we  are 
to  keep  in  mind  the  flattering  motives  that  are  held  up  to 
the  young  and  inexperienced  to  engage.  And  when 
once  engaged,  or  having  stepped  over  the  threshold,  there 
is  no  retreat  but  with  utter  disgrace.  A  female  who 
should  return  to  the  world  after  having  experienced  the 
delusion  of  her  hopes,  and  the  exposure  of  her  condi- 
tion, would  be  met  with  universal  contempt  and  neglect. 
Her  family  and  friends  would  consider  themselves  disho- 
nored, and  probably  would  refuse  to  receive  her.  Her 
acquaintance  would  refuse  to  associate  with  her.  No 
man  would  ever  regard  her  as  a  candidate  for  marriage. 
She  would  be  an  object  of  universal  scorn.  Such  is  pub- 
lic opinion  and  the  strength  of  superstition  in  popish 
countries,  that  it  operates  with  the  force  of  the  Hindoo 
law  of  caste,  or  that  by  which  the  widow  is  impelled  to 
the  funeral  pile  of  her  husband,  to  which  her  own  son 
puts  the  torch. 

But  after  all  the  severity  of  the  above  and  similar  rules 
by  which  communication  with  the  exterior  world  in  gene- 
ral is  cut  off'  from  nunneries,  yet  there  are  ways  and 
means  found  by  which  unrestrained  intercourse  with  cer- 
tain parts  of  the  world  is  enjoyed.  Though  the  nuns 
have  no  egress  on  pain  of  excommunication,  yet  there  are 
those  who  have  ingress  whenever  they  please,  and  it  is 
said,  by  means  of  a  subterranean  passage  attached  to 
the  nunnery  for  that  purpose.     The  prioress  of  the  con« 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  347 

vent  of  St.  Catherine,  at  Pistoie,  says,  "  with  the  excep- 
tion of  three  or  four  religious  persons,  all  the  monks, 
now  dead  or  alive,  whom  I  have  ever  known,  were  of 
the  same  character.  They  all  made  the  same  profession, 
and  adopted  the  same  conduct.  They  live  with  the  nuns 
on  more  familiar  terms  than  married  people  live  to- 
gether." For  endeavoring  to  suppress  these  disorders, 
Ricci  was  stigmatized  by  pope  Pius  VI.  as  a  fanatic,  a 
liar,  a  calumniator,  seditious,  and  an  usurper  of  other 
men's  rights.  This  is  the  testimony  of  one  who  knew  the 
facts.  Is  it  asked,  what  is  the  object  of  those  severe  laws 
above  mentioned,  if  these  convents  are  so  corrupt  ?  The 
answer  is,  the  priests  are  jealous  of  their  fellow  men, 
and  guard  their  prey  with  the  same  feelings  that  the 
grand  Turk  keeps  a  watchful  eye  over  his  harem.  These 
nunneries  are  in  fact  the  harems  of  the  priests  and  monks. 
The  following  definition  of  a  monk  is  by  a  baron  of  Hun- 
gary : — "  Monk.  An  animal,  greedy,  filthy,  impure,  un- 
profitable, slothful,  more  inclined  to  endure  hunger  than 
toil.  They  live  by  rapine  and  gain  ;  they  think  the  world 
was  created  for  their  use  alone ;  they  indulge  in  secret 
intercourse  with  women  ;  they  do  not  celebrate  the  rites 
of  marriage ;  they  expose  their  offspring ;  they  treat 
their  own  species  with  cruelty,  and  deceitfully  ensnare 
their  enemies.  Use.  An  unprofitable  burden  to  the 
earth,  created  to  devour  the  fruits  thereof." 

The  ceremony  of  introducing  an  applicant  for  a  place 
in  the  convent,  is  thus  described  in  an  Irish  journal  from 
the  mouth  of  popery.  "  Miss  Joyce,  daughter  of  Walter 
Joyce,  Esqr.  of  Mervieu,  was  received  to-day,  amongst 
the  pious  and  exemplary  sisterhood  of  the  Presentation 
convent ;  scarcely  have  we  ever  witnessed  a  scene  more 
sublimely  imposing.  The  young  and  promising  daugh- 
ter of  one  of  OUT  most  respectable  and  esteemed  citizens, 
presenting  herself  at  the  altar  of  her  God,  in  the  aban- 
donment of  every  earthly  consideration — in  the  sacrifice 
of  every  thing  that  could  bespeak  permanency  to  social  life 


348  ,  HISTORY  OF  POPERY. 

and  to  social  happiness,  in  the  dedication  of  her  exahed 
talents,  of  her  young  and  innocent  loveliness,  of  the  world's 
promise  and  the  world's  hopes,  must  indeed  be  capable  of 
awakening  in  the  breasts  of  all,  a  generous  and  a  dignified 
association,  whilst  it  affords  an  important  coloring  to  the 
completion  of  her  future  existence,  and  her  ultimate  des- 
tiny. At  half  past  nine  the  'Ogloriosa  VirginwrrC  was  sung 
from  the  highest  choir,  in  the  masterly  accompaniment 
of  select  musical  performers.  The  procession  then  began 
to  move  from  the  vestry,  through  the  lower  choir  to  the 
chapel  in  the  following  order.  1.  The  Thuriferere.  2. 
The  Acolytes.  3.  The  master  of  ceremonies,  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Daly.  4.  The  subdeacon,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Gill.  5. 
Deacon,  the  Rev.  Mr.  O'Donnell.  6.  The  high  priest, 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Finn.     7.  The  celebrant,  the  very   Rev. 

Warden  French,    and  his   train   bearer. The    Rev. 

Warden  French  having  been  conducted  to  his  faldasto- 
rium,  under  a  rich  canopy,  the  high  priest  and  his  offici- 
ating ministers,  retired  to  their  places  at  the  gospel  side 
of  the  altar.  And  now  all  was  breathless  expectation ; 
the  young  postulant  (applicant)  appeared  in  the  atten- 
dance of  the  Rev.  mother,  and  her  assistant,  robed  in  all 
the  gaudy  extravagance  of  fashionable  splendor,  and 
beaming  in  the  glows  of  youthful  modesty,  which  taught 
us  to  believe,  that  had  she  remained  in  the  world  she  for- 
sook, she  would  have  moved  the  attraction  of  every 
heart,  the  leading  star  of  every  eye.  The  very  Rev.  Ce- 
lebrant was  then  conducted  to  the  platform  of  the  altar, 
and  the  postulant  and  her  attendants  having  genufluted, 
(knelt,)  the  ceremony  of  reception  began  with  the  pre- 
paratory prayers  and  responsories.  When  the  novice 
was  seated,  and  the  celebrant  was  reconducted  to  the  fal- 
dastorium,  high  mass  commenced  with  peculiar  dignity, 
and  with  a  strict  precision  in  all  the  various  ceremonies, 
which  always  render  the  Catholic  service  sublime." — 
(The  reader  can  judge  for  himself  of  the  sublimity  by 
turning  back  to  the  description  of  the  celebration  of  mass.) 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  349 

"  After  the  gospel,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Daly  delivered  an  ex- 
cellent sermon,  addressed  peculiarly  to  the  novice,  and 
prefaced  by  a  text  admirably  pertinent  to  the  subject  he 
handled  !  *  Harken  O  daughter  and  see,  incline  thine 
ear  ;  thou  shalt  leave  thy  people  and  thy  father's  house, 
for  the  king  hath  greatly  desired  thy  beauty,  and  he  is 
the  Lord  thy  God.'  Ps.  45.  After  mass  the  novice  re- 
tired, whilst  the  clerical  choir  chanted  in  full  tone  the 
Psalm,  '  in  exitu  Israel  de  Egypto.'  At  the  conclusion 
of  the  Psalm  she  appeared  disrobed  of  her  worldly  habi- 
liments and  vested  in  the  simplicity  of  penance  and  re- 
tirement. In  the  different  answers  to  questions  put  to 
her  by  the  celebrant,  she  was  clear  and  decisive,  like  one 
whose  determination  of  embracing  a  life  of  religion  and 
of  chastity  was  that  of  long  and  conclusive  reflection. 
The  ceremony  on  the  whole  created  a  deep  and  general 
interest.  The  chapel  and  lower  choir  were  crowded 
with  the  first  of  rank  and  distinction  in  our  city  and  the 
vicinity.  We  recognized  among  them  the  respectable 
families  of  his  grace  the  archbishop  of  Tuam,  collec- 
tor Reilly,  and  our  worthy  mayor.  Col.  Carey."  This 
puff  is  probably  from  the  pen  of  some  popish  priest.  Be 
that  as  it  may,  to  every  enlightened  mind  the  ceremony 
here  described  is  all  mummery  and  nonsense.  If  it  were 
just  as  it  appears,  what  is  the  amount  ?  Why  a  young 
sprightly  damsel,  to  whom  God  has  given  talents  and 
powers  to  be  extensively  useful,  a  comfort  to  her  friends 
and  a  blessing  to  the  world,  resolves  under  the  tuition  of 
popery  to  throw  away  these  talents,  or  bury  them,  and 
retire  into  solitude,  and  for  what?  Ah,  who  can  tell? 
This  is  the  best  of  it.  But  taking  the  affair,  divested  of 
external  glare,  just  as  it  is,  and  as  she  will  find  it  in  the 
result,  and  what  is  it  ?  Why  this  fair  unsuspecting  dam- 
sel is  persuaded,  under  the  forms  of  superstition,  to  be- 
come a  victim  to  the  craft  and  villany  of  a  few  designing 
men.  By  superstitious  rites  she  is  drawn  from  the  pater- 
nal roof,  and  from  maternal  watchfulness,  and  placed 

30 


350  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

beyond  the  reach  of  parental  fidelity,  at  the  mercy  of 
wolves  in  sheep's  clothing.  And  to  grace  the  transac- 
tion, a  passage  of  scripture,  which  is  figuratively  written 
of  the  church,  is  perverted  and  applie^d  to  this  damsel, 
and  the  most  blasphemous  suggestion  made,  by  a  literal 
application  of  the  language  to  her.  If  the  preacher,  in- 
stead of  reading,  "  the  king  hath  greatly  desired  thy 
beautv,"  had  put  the  priests  in  the  place  of  the  king,  he 
would  have  been  much  nearer  the  truth.  Let  the  papists 
gloss  this  transaction  over  ever  so  much,  or  call  it  by 
what  name  they  will,  it  is  really  a  human  sacrifice,  as 
really  so  as  the  burning  of  Hindoo  widows,  and  it  in- 
volves precisely  the  same  principle.  In  the  words  of 
another,  "  Here  a  silly  young  creature  is  represented  as 
devoting  herself  to  a  life  of  celibacy,  and  perpetual  se- 
clusion from  the  world,  which  must  be  a  life  of  delusion 
or  misery,  or  both,  because  it  is  contrary  to  the  appoint- 
ment of  God,  who  requires  no  man  or  woman  to  relin- 
quish the  advantages  of  domestic  and  social  intercourse, 
or  to  become  thus  secluded  from  the  world,  but  who 
rather  commands  all  to  occupy  the  sphere  which  in  his 
providence  he  assigns  them  in  the  world,  for  his  glory 
and  the  good  of  their  fellow  creatures."  What  right  has 
a  female  or  any  other  person  to  devote  their  lives  to  per- 
petual seclusion,  any  more  than  they  have  to  take  away 
their  own  lives  ?  And  when  God  shall  require  an  ac- 
count of  their  stewardship  what  can  they  say  more  than 
was  said  by  the  unprofitable  servant,  and  what  can  they 
expect  to  hear  from  the  judge  different  from  what  he 
heard  ? 

In  regard  to  the  profiigacy  of  the  popish  priesthood 
and  monasteries,  in  consequence  of  monasticism  and  celi- 
bacy, it  will  doubtless  be  said  by  the  friends  of  popery 
that  the  sins  of  a  few  are  charged  upon  the  whole,  and 
that  this  is  very  unreasonable.  They  will  say  there 
was  one  Judas  in  the  family  of  Christ,  an  Ananias  and 
Sapphira  among  the  first  disciples,  and  if  a  few  priests. 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  351 

monks  and  nuns  should  violate  their  vows,  that  should 
not  in  justice  be  charged  to  the  whole  community  of  pa- 
pists. To  this  plea  there  are  two  grounds  of  reply. 
First,  the  bad  conduct  of  a  few  members  of  any  commu- 
nity must  be  charged  upon  the  whole  body,  if  that  body 
do  not  take  proper  measures  to  cast  out  the  polluted  mem- 
bers. '  Suppose  the  apostles  had  continued  to  consort 
with  Judas  after  his  character  was  known,  suppose  they 
made  common  cause  with  him,  and  continued  to  support 
and  encourage  him  ;  would  they  not  have  been  justly 
chargeable  with  aiding  and  abetting  him  in  his  crimes  ? 
The  same  inquiry  will  apply  to  Ananias  and  Sapphira. 
Is  it  not  the  general  sentiment  of  all  reasonable  men  that 
the  church  which  harbors  and  retains  malefactors,  know- 
ing them  to  be  such,  becomes  a  partaker  in  their  guilt? 
If  so,  then  it  is  asked  when  or  how  has  popery  ever 
cleansed  herself  of  the  admitted  pollution  of  her  members  ? 
When  has  she  ever  cast  out  a  priest,  a  monk,  or  a  nun 
for  known  profligacy  ?  and  even  some  of  her  popes  have 
been  men  of  grossly  immoral  lives,  when  has  popery 
ever  frowned  effectually  at  these  things  ?  No,  in  gene- 
ral she  has  defended  her  profligate  sons,  and  when 
covered  with  the  stains  of  sin  she  has  pressed  them  more 
closely  to  her  bosom.  And  if  any  have  undertaken  to 
disclose  the  facts  or  produce  a  reform,  they  have  been 
arraigned  as  rebels.  Take  the  case  of  Ricci^  already 
mentioned,  who  brought  to  light  enormous  wickedness  in 
his  own  precincts  and  sought  to  apply  a  remedy,  but  he 
was  frowned  from  papal  presence.  Can  papists  then 
complain  that  they  bear  the  reproach  of  many  when 
they  make  common  cause  with  the  workers  of  iniquity? 
But  there  is  no  necessity  to  enlarge  here,  for  in  the  second 
place,  it  is  not  true  that  the  delinquents  and  oflTenders 
among  the  orders  of  celibacy  is  an  inconsiderable  num- 
ber, a  small  proportion  of  the  whole.  Celibacy  has  been 
followed  in  all  ages  by  very  general  and  almost  univer- 
sal corruption  so  much  so  as  to  demonstrate  that  the 


352  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

whole  system  is  one  of  corruption,  and  if  one  in  a  thou- 
sand escapes,  he  is  a  kind  of  prodigy.  The  evidence  of 
this  truth  is  abundant  on  the  page  of  history,  even  from 
the  writings  of  popish  authors  themselves.  For  many 
of  them  have  seen  and  deplored  the  evil,  which  with  their 
system  in  operation,  they  could  neither  avoid  nor  cure. 
The  detail  of  the  evidence  is  a  thankless  and  odious  task 
both  to  the  writer  and  readers,  and  cannot  pow  be  admit- 
ted to  any  considerable  extent.  Some  things  touching  this 
point  have  been  stated.  In  addition,  it  must  suffice  to 
state  a  few  unquestionable  facts. 

From  the  book  entitled,  "  Taxes  of  the  Apostolic  chan- 
cery," it  appears  that  a  priest  was  allowed  to  keep  a  mis- 
tress for  the  small  sum  of  half  a  guinea.  If  this  w^as 
allowed  by  the  highest  authority  in  the  papal  community 
it  is  fair  to  infer  that  it  was  generally  practiced.  But  we 
do  not  rest  the  charge  on  inference.  Claude  de  Espence, 
a  divine  of  great  note  in  the  papal  church,  says,  "  Shame- 
ful to  relate,  they  give  permission  to  priests  to  have  con- 
cubines, and  to  live  with  their  harlots,  who  have  children 
by  them,  upon  paying  an  annual  tribute.  And  in  some 
places  they  oblige  the  priest  to  pay  this  tax,  saying  '  they 
may  keep  a  concubine  if  they  please.'  "  This  testimony 
is  not  the  less  valid  from  having  been  before  cited  to  il- 
lustrate a  different  point. 

Dr.  Henry  in  his  history  of  Britain,  gives  the  foUow- 
ingaccount  of  the  fifteenth  century.  "  At  the  king's  com- 
mand, the  university  of  Oxford  drew  up  a  catalogue  of 
those  abuses  in  the  church  which  needed  reformation,  to 
be  laid  before  the  council  of  Constance.  This  catalogue 
consists  of  forty-six  articles,  which  though  drawn  up  by 
priests,  gives  a  most  odious  picture  of  the  manners  of  the 
clergy  at  this  time,  particularly  of  their  avarice  and  de- 
bauchery. Of  each  of  these  an  example  may  be  given. 
The  27th  article  is  as  follows.  'It  is  notorious,  that 
when  a  pagan  or  Jew,  abandoning  his  former  errors,  de- 
sires to  be  purified  in  the  fount  of  baptism,  all  his  tempo- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  353 

rai  goods  are  confiscated  to  the  church,  which,  it  is  be- 
lieved, prevents  many  Jews  from  being  baptized.  It 
would  be  pious  and  meritorious  in  the  council  to  remedy 
this  abuse.  For  when  Philip  baptized  the  eunuch,  he 
did  not  seize  his  chariot,  or  other  goods  he  might  have 
about  him  at  the  time  of  his  baptism.'  The  38th  arti- 
cle represents,  '  that  the  carnal  and  debauched  lives  of 
the  clergy  in  our  days,  and  their  public  fornications,  which 
are  never  punished,  (except  perhaps  with  a  small  fine 
in  private,  probably  the  half  crown  tax,)  set  an  evil  ex- 
ample before  others  ;  it  would  therefore  be  a  holy  thing, 
and  contribute  to  the  reformation  of  the  church,  if  priests 
of  every  rank  and  order,  who  were  public  fornicators 
were  obliged  to  abstain  from  saying  mass  for  a  limited 
time.'  In  this  article  it  will  be  observed,  the  complaint 
is  not  concerning  a  few  cases  of  criminal  conduct  here 
and  there,  but  the  article  speaks  of  the  clergy  generally. 
Archbishop  Bourchier,  as  related  by  the  same  historian, 
in  a  commission  which  he  granted  to  one  of  his  commis- 
saries to  attempt  some  reform,  says,  •  that  many  of  the 
clergy  were  ignorant,  illiterate  blockheads,  or  rather 
idiots,  and  that  they  were  as  profligate  as  they  were  igno- 
rant, neglecting  their  cures,  strolling  about  the  country 
with  bad  women  in  their  company,  spending  the  reve- 
nues of  the  church,  in  feasting  and  drinking,  in  f(wnica- 
tion  and  adultery.'  "  The  successor  of  this  worthy  pri- 
mate of  England,  viz.  John  Morton,  in  a  letter  to  the 
abbot  of  St.  Albans,  which  has  been  published,  char- 
ges him  and  his  monks  with  the  most  odious  vices,  of 
which  he  says  they  were  notoriously  guilty.  One  of  his 
crimes  was,  that  he  had  "  turned  all  the  modest  women 
out  of  the  two  nunneries  of  Pray  and  Sapwell  and  filled 
them  with  prostitutes,  that  they  were  esteemed  no  better 
than  brothels,  and  were  frequented  as  such  publicly  by 
him  and  his  monks."  Such  was  the  condition  of  these 
holy  seminaries  of  popery  in  the  fifteenth  century. 

When  the  reformation  came  on,  Henry  VIII.  ordered 

30* 


354  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

a  visitatioQ  of  certain  monasteries  as  preparatory  to  their 
suppression.  The  following  is  Dr.  Henry's  account  of 
the  result.  "  The  visitors  having  received  their  commis- 
sion and  instructions,  were  despatched  into  different  parts 
of  the  kingdom  at  the  same  time,  that  the  monks  might 
have  as  little  warning  of  their  approach  as  possible.  They 
executed  their  commissions  v^^ith  zeal  and  diligence,  and 
made  some  curious  discoveries  almost  in  every  house, 
not  much  to  the  honor  of  the  inhabitants.  In  making 
these  discoveries  they  were  greatly  indebted  to  the  vio- 
lent factions  which  reigned  among  the  monks  and  nuns, 
who  informed  against  one  another,  and  against  their 
superiors.  Accounts  of  their  proceedings  were  transmit- 
ted by  the  visitors  to  the  vicar-general,  and  contained 
sufficient  materials  to  render  the  monasteries  completely 
infamous,  and  the  objects  of  universal  detestation  for 
their  gross,  absurd  superstition  and  idolatry,  their  infernal 
cruelty,  their  shameful  impositions  on  the  credulity  of  the 
people,  their  abandoned  unnatural  incontinency,  their 
drunkenness,  gluttony,  and  other  vices.  Some  of  the  old 
abbots  and  friars  did  not  attempt  to  conceal  their  practi- 
ces. The  holy  father,  the  prior  of  Maiden-Bradley,  pro- 
duced a  dispensation  from  the  pope,  permitting  him  to 
keep  a  mistress,  and  he  assured  them  he  took  none  but 
young  maidens,  and  when  he  was  disposed  to  change  he 
procured  them  husbands.  Though  he  had  no  wife,  and 
could  not  have  agreeably  to  the  rules  of  popery,  yet  he 
had  already  given. portions  out  of  the  goods  of  the  priory 
to  six  sons  and  one  daughter  who  had  been  married,  and 
several  more  of  his  children  were  nearly  grown  up." 
These  investigations  led  to  an  act  of  parliament  of  which 
the  following  is  the  preamble,  which  gives  a  general 
view  of  the  subject  at  that  time. — "  Forasmuch  as  mani- 
fest sin,  vicious,  carnal  and  abominable  living  is  daily 
used  and  committed  in  abbej'^s,  priories,  and  other  reli- 
gious houses  of  monks,  canons,  and  nuns  ;  and  albeit, 
many  continual  visitations  have  been  heretofore  had,  by 


HISTORY  OF  POPERY.  355 

the  space  of  two  hundred  years  and  more,  for  an  honest, 
charitable  reformation    of    such   unthrifty,   carnal,    and 
abominable  living,  yet  nevertheless,  little  or  no  amend- 
ment is  hitherto  had,  but  their  vicious  living  shamefully 
increaseth  and  augmenteth."     In  Scotland  the  state  of 
things  was  no  better.     M'Crie,  in  his  life  of  Knox,  says, 
*'  The  lives  of  the  clergy  exempted  from  secular  jurisdic- 
tion, and  corrupted  by  wealth  and  idleness  were  become 
a  scandal  to  religion  and  an  outrage  to  decency.     While 
they  professed  chastity,  and  prohibited,  under  the  severest 
penalties,  any  of  the  ecclesiastical  order  from  contracting 
lawful  wedlock,  the  bishops  set  the  example  of  the  most 
shameless  profligacy  before  the  inferior  clergy.     They 
avowedly  kept  in  their  houses  harlots,  provided  their 
natural  sons  with  benefices,  and  gave  their  daughters  in 
marriage  to  the  sons  of  the  nobility  and  principal  gentry, 
many  of  whom  were  so  mean  as  to  contaminate  the  blood 
of  their  families  by  such  base  alliances,  for  the  sake  of 
the  rich  doweries  which  they  brought !"  Cardinal  Beton, 
the  primate  of  Scotland,  already  mentioned  as  the  mur- 
derer of  Mr.  Wishart,  settled  with  the  earl  of  Crawford 
the  preliminaries  of  a  marriage  between  the  earl's  eldest 
son  and  his  own  natural   daughter,   named  Margaret, 
with  whom  he  gave  a  very  large  fortune.     The  lives  of 
the  popish  clergy  in  Ireland  at  this  day,  says  the  Rev. 
Charles  Bourke,  as  well  as  on  the  continent,  are  not 
much  more  correct  than  at  the  reformation  of  Luther. 
The  mistresses  and  children  of  reverend  gentlemen  can 
be  shewn  whenever  they  choose  to  put  it  to  trial.     They 
themselves  know  that  this  can  be  proved  incontestibly. 
The  above  examples  are  taken  chiefly  from  England  and 
Scotland,  because  they  were  more  free  from  the  pollutions 
of  popery,  than  most  other  countries  that  were  subjected 
to  its  influence,  and  therefore  exhibit,   at  least,  a  fair 
sample  of  the  general  fruits  of  popish  monasticism. 

The  next  item  of  popish  superstition  which  will  come 
under  consideration  relates  to  Relics.     And  no  part  or 


356  HISTORY  OF  POPERY. 

portion  of  popery  is  more  sottish  and  ridiculous  than 
this.  If  the  facts  concerning  it  were  not  entirely  incon- 
testible,  they  would  be  utterly  incredible.  That  men 
can  become  very  wicked,  and  be  led  to  great  extremes  by 
their  selfish  and  carnal  feelings  is  easily  believed.  But 
that  they  can  be  made  such  dupes  and  fools,  as  to  believe 
the  legends  of  popery  contrary  to  their  own  eyes  and 
ears,  is  marvellous. 

The  following  decree  of  the  council  of  Trent,  may 
serve  as  a  proper  opening  to  the  subject. 

"  Let  them  (i.  e.  all  bishops  and  others,  who  have  the 
care  and  charge  of  teaching)  teach  also,  that  the  holy 
bodies  of  the  holy  martyrs,  and  others  living  with  Christ, 
whose  bodies  are  living  members  of  Christ,  and  temples 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  will  be  by  him,  raised  to  eternal 
life  and  glorified,  are  to  be  venerated  by  the  faithful, 
since  by  them  God  bestows  many  benefits  upon  men.  So 
that  they  are  to  be  wholly  condemned,  as  the  church  has 
long  before  condemned  them,  and  now  repeats  the  sen- 
tence, who  affirm  that  veneration  and  honor  are  not  due 
to  the  relics  of  the  saints,  or  that  it  is  a  useless  thing  that 
the  faithful  should  honor  these  and  other  sacred  monu- 
ments, and  that  the  memorials  of  the  saints  are  in  vain 
frequented  to  obtain  their  aid  and  assistance." 

By  relics  we  are  to  understand  certain  remains  of  the 
bodies,  dress,  furniture,  clothing  or  appurtenances  of 
persons  or  saints  who  have  been  renowned  either  before 
or  after  death.  It  is  difficult  to  determine  the  precise 
degree  of  virtue  or  divinity  which  papists  ascribe  to  these 
things,  and  therefore  the  consideration  belongs  to  super- 
stition rather  than  to  idolatry.  Superstition  it  certainly 
is,  it  may  be  more,  but  this  is  the  least  that  can  be  said. 
The  objects  themselves  called  relics  are  very  multifa- 
rious as  we  shall  have  occasion  to  observe.  Some 
appear  to  be  regarded  with  religious  veneration.  For 
St.  Thomas  Aquinas  says,  '*  If  we  speak  of  the  very  cross 
upon  which  Christ  was  crucified,  it  is  to  be  worshipped 


HISTORY  OF  POPERY.  357 

with  divine  worship  ;  both  as  it  represents  Christ,  and 
touched  the  members  of  his  body,  and  was  sprinkled  with 
his  blood,  for  these  reasons  we  both  speak  to  the  cross 
and  pray  to  it  as  if  it  were  Christ  crucified  upon  it." 
This  of  course  can  be  nothing  less  than  idolatry.  "  But 
other  relicts,  such  as  are  designed  to  frighten  witches, 
cure  the  diseases  of  cattle,  kill  vermin,  and  serve  other 
necessary  purposes,  must  receive  a  veneration  suited  to 
their  respective  uses." 

The  council  of  Trent,  it  will  be  observed,  has  declared, 
that  "  by  these  relics  God  bestows  many  benefits  upon 
men."  This,  of  course,  every  papist  must  believe.  If 
the  holy  fathers  are  to  be  credited,  many  benefits  truly 
have  been  enjoyed  by  monks,  priests  and  popes,  through 
the  intervention  of  relics.  The  church  which  can  obtain 
a  tooth  or  bone  of  some  famous  saint,  or  any  fragment  of 
the  instrument  of  his  death,  must  be  happy  indeed.  This 
is  a  capital  device,  if  it  can  be  forced  upon  the  credulity 
of  men,  to  obtain  money.  By  this  many  churches  glitter, 
and  many  a  treasury  is  filled  with  gold  and  silver.  Who 
can' wonder  that  the  pope  should  so  pathetically  urge  the 
faithful  to  visit  Rome  at  the  jubilee,  that  they  might  see 
the  cradle  in  which  the  Saviour  was  laid,  a  piece  of  the 
true  cross,  the  nails  used  in  the  crucifixion,  &c.  By  this 
means  the  pockets  of  the  faithful  are  emptied,  and  the 
coffers  of  the  pope  filled.  Thus,  one  writer  remarks  in 
writing  of  Rome  in  the  nineteenth  century,  "  They  shew 
at  Rome  the  heads  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  encased  in 
silver  busts,  set  with  jewels,  a  lock  of  the  virgin  Mary's 
hair,  a  phial  of  her  tears,  and  a  piece  of  her  green  petti- 
coat. Also  a  robe  of  Christ  sprinkled  with  his  blood, 
some  drops  of  his  blood  in  a  phial,  some  of  the  water 
which  flowed  from  the  wound  in  his  side,  some  of  the 
sponge,  a  large  piece  of  the  cross,  all  the  nails  used  in  the 
crucifixion,  a  piece  of  the  stone  of  the  sepulchre  on  which 
the  angel  sat,  the  identical  porphyry  pillar  on  which  the 
cock  crowed  after  Peter  denied  Christ,  the  rods  of  Moses 


358  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

and  Aaron,  and  two  pieces  of  the  wood  of  the  real  ark 
of  the  covenant.  At  the  extremity  of  the  great  nave  of 
St.  Peter's,  behind  the  ahar,  stands  a  sort  of  throne  com- 
posed of  precious  materials,  and  supported  by  four  gigan- 
tic pillars.  This  throne  enshrines  the  real,  plain  worm- 
eaten,  wooden  chair,  in  which  St.  Peter,  prince  of  the 
apostles,  is  said  to  have  pontificated,  (i.  e.  acted  the  pope.) 
When  the  French  were  at  Rome,  they  removed  its  superb 
casket,  and  discovered  the  relic.  Upon  its  dusty  and 
mouldering  surface  were  traced  carvings  which  bore  the 
appearance  of  letters.  The  chair  was  quickly  brought 
into  a  better  light,  the  dust  and  cobwebs  removed,  and  the 
inscription  faithfully  copied.  The  writing  is  in  Arabic 
characters,  and  is  the  well  known  confession  of  Maho- 
metan faith,  viz. — "  There  is  but  one  God,  and  Mahomet 
is  his  prophet."  It  is  supposed  that  the  chair  was  brought 
from  Palestine  by  the  crusaders.  But  here  it  has  been 
for  ages  worshipped  by  the  faithful  papists  as  the  real 
identical  chair  in  which  Peter  played  the  pope.  The 
church  of  St.  Lorenzo  in  Genoa,  possessed  a  most  sacred 
relic,  viz.,  a  dish  declared  to  be  of  one  entire  and  per- 
fect emerald,  said  to  be  that  on  which  our  Lord  ate  his 
last  supper.  It  was  guarded  by  knights  of  honor,  and 
exposed  to  view  only  once  a  year.  The  French  seized 
it,  and  most  sacrilegiously  sent  it  to  the  laboratory.  In- 
stead of  submitting  it,  with  its  traditional  glory,  to  the 
council  of  Trent,  they  handed  it  over  to  the  Institute  of 
Paris,  and  chemists,  geologists,  and  philosophers  were 
called  on  to  decide  the  fate  of  that  vessel,  which  bishops, 
priests,  and  deacons  had  pronounced  to  be  too  sacred  for 
human  investigation,  or  even  for  human  touch.  The  re- 
sult of  the  scientific  inquisition  was,  that  the  emerald  dish 
was  "  a  piece  of  green  glass !"  In  the  church  of  the 
escurial,  in  Spain,  there  are  eleven  thousand  relics.  A 
few  extracts  from  an  account  of  them,  printed  in  Spain, 
in  1764,  will  probably  amuse  the  reader.  The  account 
says,  ♦'  We  will  first  begin  with  the  relics  of  our  Saviour, 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  359 

who,  as  he  gave  himself  to  us,  left  us  some  of  his  pre- 
cious jewels,  which  are  incomparable  and  divine,  viz : 
"  A  sacred  hair  of  his  most  holy  head  or  beard,  is  preserved 
here,  with  the  utmost  veneration,  in  a  precious  vase,  and 
opportunity  can  never  offer  us  a  better  hair  to  obtain 
glory  by.  Several  pieces  of  his  most  holy  cross,  all  ad- 
mirably garnished  with  gold,  and  silver,  and  jewels, 
especially  that  which  is  adored  on  good  Friday.  Thir» 
teen  thorns  out  of  his  crown,  which  pierce  the  soul  with 
their  points,  when  we  consider  them  as  in  the  delicate 
temples  of  that  most  lovely  king  of  glory.  Some  pieces 
of  the  column  to  which  he  was  bound,  and  of  the  manner 
in  which  he  was  born,  to  die  for  us,  which  invite  hearts 
to  break  in  pieces  through  compassion  and  gratitude. 

"  In  the  next  place  are  the  relics  of  his  most  holy  mo- 
ther, which  gladden  the  hearts  of  those  who  seriously 
consider  their  incomparable  value.  Three  or  four  pieces 
of  the  habit  which  adorned  the  most  pure  and  virginal 
body,  in  which  was  formed  that  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord, 
her  son,  are  placed  in  one  case.  Also  a  piece  of  the 
handkerchief  with  which  she  wiped  her  tears  at  the  foot 
of  the  cross,  when  those  tears,  as  precious  as  the  gems  of 
Aurora,  joining  themselves  with  the  rubies  of  the  western 
sun,  incorporated  themselves  with  the  treasure  of  our 
redemption."  The  reader  is  begged  to  remember  that 
this  is  popish  description,  else  he  may  think  the  writer 
mad.  "  Besides  these,  we  possess  a  hair,  which  may  be 
suspected  to  be  that,  which,  flowing  down  her  neck, 
enamored  her  spouse." 

"  We  possess  also  a  thigh  bone  of  the  glorious  martyr, 
St.  Lawrence.  It  is  entire,  but  the  hair  is  singed ;  the 
holes  that  were  made  in  it,  (what,  the  thigh  bone  ?)  by 
the  prongs  by  which  he  was  turned  on  the  gridiron,  are 
yet  very  visible.  One  of  this  saint's  feet  is  also  in  pos- 
session ;  the  toes  are  entire,  though  contracted  ;  between 
two  of  them  is  a  small  cinder,  which,  in  the  eye  of  piety, 
shines  like  a  carbuncle.     In  order  to  protect  the  building 


360  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

which  contains  these  precious  remains  from  lightning, 
there  are  several  relics,  especially  those  of  St  Lawrence, 
its  patron,  in  metal  cases,  inserted  into  the  balls  and 
crosses  which  are  on  the  tops  of  the  towers." 

The  use  of  the  Agnus  Dei,  as  it  is  called,  from  the  fact 
that  the  image  of  the  Lamb  of  God  is  impressed  on  the 
face  of  it,  may  be  inserted  here,  as  nearly  related  to  the 
use  of  relics.  The  agnus  Dei,  is  made  of  clear  wax, 
balsam,  and  chrism,  according  to  the  form  prescribed  in 
the  popish  rituaL  The  spiritual  efficacy  or  virtue  of  it 
is  gathered  from  the  prayers  that  the  church  make  use 
of  in  the  blessing  of  it,  which  is  "  to  preserve  him  who 
carries  an  agnus  Dei,  or  any  particle  of  it  about  him, 
from  any  attempts  of  his  temporal  or  spiritual  enemies  ; 
from  the  dangers  of  fire,  of  water,  of  storms  and  tempests, 
of  thunder  and  lightning,  and  from  sudden  and  unpro- 
vided death.  It  puts  the  devils  to  flight,  succors  women 
in  child-birth,  takes  away  the  stains  of  past  sins,  and  fur- 
nishes us  with  new  grace  for  the  future,  that  we  may  be 
preserved  from  all  adversities  and  perils,  both  in  life  and 
death,  through  the  cross  and  merits  of  the  Lamb,  who 
redeemed  and  washed  us  in  his  blood."  The  pope  con- 
secrates the  agnus  Deis  the  first  year  of  his  pontificate, 
and  afterwards  on  every  seventh  year,  on  Saturday  before 
low  Sunday,  with  many  solemn  ceremonies  and  devout 
prayers.  And  yet  this  popish  quackery,  this  puffing  of 
spiritual  nostrums  and  specifics,  is  believed  by  men  in 
England  and  America. 

But  we  have  not  done  with  relics  yet.  "  There  is  no 
part  of  popery,"  says  McGavin,  "that  depends  so  much 
on  downright  lying  and  imposition  as  this.  When  the 
prophet  Ezekiel  saw  in  a  vision  the  idolatrous  Jews 
worshipping  every  form  of  creeping  things,  and  abomi- 
nable beasts,  and  all  the  idols  of  the  house  of  Israel,  he 
saw  little  more  than  what  is  practiced  every  day  in  po- 
pish countries,  where  the  wretched  and  deluded  people 
pay  their  devotion  to  rotten  rags,  to  the  decayed  bones  of 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  361 

human  carcasses,  and  to  all  manner  of  nastiness,  the  very 
mention  of  which  would  fill  with  loathing  the  mind  of  eve- 
ry human  being,  that  is  not  brutified  by  an  abominable 
superstition.  The  least  offensive  are  the  arms,  fingers, 
legs,  and  toes  of  certain  saints  ;  some  of  whom  must  have 
had  as  many  limbs  as  a  centipede  ;  for  in  Flanders, 
Spain^  and  France,  there  are  no  less  than  eight  arms  of 
St.  Matthew,  which  would  of  course  produce  forty  fin- 
gers. The  author  of  one  catalogue,  in  my  possession, 
assures  his  readers  that  himself  had  seen  "  three  arms  of 
St.  Luke,  and  he  could  not  tell  how  many  St.  Thomas  a 
Becket  had."  In  the  church  of  the  lateran  at  Rome, 
they  have  the  entire  table  on  which  our  Lord  ate  the  last 
supper  with  his  disciples ;  and  yet  there  are  said  to  be 
pieces  of  it  in  both  Spain  and  Flanders.  At  Rome,  as 
already  mentioned,  they  show  the  heads  of  St.  Peter  and 
St.  Paul ;  and  yet,  in  possession  of  the  Augustines  at 
Bilboa,  there  is  a  great  piece  of  the  skull  of  Peter,  and 
another  piece  of  that  of  Paul  in  the  keeping  of  the  Fran- 
ciscans of  the  same  city.  The  Augustine  friars  at  Burgos 
are  said  to  have  the  virgin  Mary's  chamber  pot,  which 
they  esteem  a  very  precious  relic.  In  St.  Peter's  they 
have  the  cross  of  the  good  thief,  somewhat  worm-eaten  ; 
Judas'  lantern,  a  little  scorched  ;  the  dice  the  soldiers 
played  with,  when  they  cast  lots  for  the  garment  of 
Christ ;  the  tail  of  Balaam's  ass,  St.  Joseph's  axe,  and 
saw,  and  hammer,  and  a  few  nails  he  had  not  driven, 
(mem.  St.  Joseph  was  a  carpenter,)  St.  Anthony's  mill- 
stone, on  which  he  sailed  to  Muscovy.  Pieces  of  the 
true  cross  are  in  many  different  places,  and  in  sufficient 
numbers  to  supply  a  town  with  fuel  for  a  winter.  Part 
of  the  manna  which  fell  in  the  wilderness,  some  blos- 
soms of  Aaron's  rod  ;  an  arm  of  St.  Simeon,  poorly 
kept ;  the  image  of  the  blessed  virgin,  drawn  by  St.  Luke, 
all  the  features  visible ;  one  of  her  combs,  and  twelve 
combs  of  the  twelve  apostles,  very  little  used  ;  some  re- 
lics of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  ;  the  arm  and  part  of 

31 


362  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

the  body  of  Lazarus,  poorly  kept,  and  smells  ;  a  part  of 
the  body  of  St.  Mark,  a  part   of  his  gospel,  in  his  own 
hand  writing,  almost  legible  ;  a  finger  and  arm  of  St, 
Ann,  the  mother  of  the  blessed  virgin  ;  a  piece  of  the  vir- 
gin's veil,  as  good  as  new ;  the  staff  delivered  by  our 
Lord  to  St  Patrick,  with  which  he  drove  all  the  snakes 
and  toads  out  of  Ireland  ;  some  of  Joseph's  breath,  which 
an  angel  inclosed  in  a  phial  as  he  was  hewing  wood  vio- 
lently, which  was  so   long  adored  in  France,  and  since 
brought  to  Venice,  and  from  Venice  to  Rome  ;  the  head 
of  St.  Dennis,  which  he  carried  two  miles  under  his  arm, 
after  it  was  cut  off,  even  from  Montmatre  to  St.  Dennis ; 
a  piece  of  the  rope  with  which  Judas  hanged  himself; 
large  parcels  of  the  blessed  virgin's  hair — some  of  her 
milk — some  butter,  and  a  cheese  made  of  it,  which  never 
decays."     These  precious  relics  are  all  certified  solemnly 
to  be  what  they  are  said  to  be,  and  popish  priests  will 
maintain  their  authenticity  with  more  confidence  than 
they  maintain  any  article  of  revelation.     And  the  pope 
himself  is  not  ashamed  to  lend  his  authority  to  sanction 
this  palpable  falsehood  and  absurdity.     The  great  object 
of  the  popish  priesthood  is  to  excite  the  superstitious  re- 
verence of  their  followers  for  these  relics,  and  by  that 
means  to  extort  their  money.     Still,  in   any  emergency 
where  impossibility  attends  the  supposition  that  these  re- 
lics should  be  what  they  profess  to  be,  the  papists  have  a 
resort.     They  then  say,  it  is  not  essential  whether  the 
bones  which  are  worshipped  as  the  relics  of  any  particu- 
lar saint,  should  actually  have  belonged  to  that  saint,  or 
to  any  saint,  provided  the  worshipper  really  believes  the 
story,  and  worships  them  w^ith  an  intention  to  honor  the 
saint  in  view.     They  may  be  the  bones  of  horses  or 
dogs,  and  yet,  if  he  intends  to  honor  a  particular  saint  by 
cherishing  these  bones,  the  act  is  accepted  for  its  inten- 
tion.    Under  the  sanction  of  this  principle  the  manufac- 
tory of  relics  has  become  a  great  business  with  skilful 
papists ;  for  they  can  thus  untomb  whole  catacombs  of 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  363 

bones,  and,  by  an  easy  process,  turn  them  all  into  sacred 
relics  of  more  value  than  gold  or  gems.  Of  this  business 
we  have  the  following  account  of  a  traveller,  entitled, 
"  Observations  on  a  journey  to  Naples."  The  author 
was  himself  at  one  time  a  good  papist,  and  therefore  knew 
whereof  he  affirmed. 

"  These  catacombs,  in  the  sense  they  take  them  in, 
are  subterraneous  places,  where  believers  assembled 
themselves  in  the  times  of  persecution,  and  where  they 
buried  the  corpses  of  their  martyrs ;  but  they  also  indif- 
ferently buried  there  the  bodies  of  all  Christians  ;  so  that 
as  those  places  served  them  for  temples  or  places  to  meet 
in,  they  served  them  also  as  church-yards,  or  places  to 
bury  their  dead.  The  popes  having,  in  these  last  ages, 
taken  into  mature  consideration  the  great  gains  they 
reaped  from  the  bones  of  their  saints,  had  recourse  to 
these  places  as  to  inexhaustible  mines,  and  indifferently 
seized  all  the.  bones  they  met  with  there.  Yea,  their 
avarice  lashed  out  to  that  degree,  that,  either  not  know- 
ing, or  not  being  able  to  distinguish  the  true  catacombs, 
they  have  gone  to  search  for  bones  in  the  common  sew- 
ers or  subterranean  vaults,  which  were  the  sinks  to  carry 
off  the  filth  of  the  city,  and  where,  in  ancient  times,  they 
used  to  fling  the  bodies  of  malefactors  after  their  execu- 
tion. The  popes  not  being  able  to  distinguish  the  one 
from  the  other,  and  to  spare  themselves  trouble,  by  the 
power  of  God,  which  they  professed  themselves  to  have, 
changed  them  all  into  saints  by  word  of  mouth.  The 
heathen  also  had  caves  and  vaults,  where  they  caused 
themselves  to  be  interred  with  their  whole  families ;  and 
the  greater  part  of  all  these  bones  are  now  upon  the  al- 
tars of  papists,  under  the  name  of  saints,  taken  out  of  the 
catacombs.  And,  forasmuch  as  the  popes  are  ignorant 
of  their  names,  they  baptize  them  anew,  and  give  them 
a  name  as  best  pleases  them.  This  is  the  cause  of  so 
many  contests  between  the  priests  and  the  monks,  who 
all  pretend  to  be  the  sole  possessors  of  the  primitive  saiqt 


364  historV  of  popery, 

of  this  or  that  name.  These  contests  must  be  determined 
at  Rome,  and  by  virtue  of  money,  which  excites  the  popes 
to  a  greater  zeal  to-  send  as  many  as  they  can  of  these 
saints  into  all  parts,  which  will  furnish  them  matter  of 
trial  so  gainful  to  them ;  yea,  we  may  affirm  that  there 
are  almost  as  many  trials  at  Rome  about  relics,  as  about 
beneficial  matters.  The  use  which  the  priests  and  monks 
of  the  church  of  Rome  make  of  these  principles  is  this, 
that  there  are  no  bones  whatsoever,  no,  not  the  bones  of 
an  ass,  or  a  horse,  but  they  may  make  relics  of  them. 
They  need  onl}'-  break  a  piece  of  them,  and  tell  you  that 
it  is  a  relic  of  one  of  the.  eleven  thousand  virgins  that 
suffered  martyrdom  at  CoUen  ;  or  else  one  of  the  soldiers 
of  the  Theban  legion,  who  were  all  cut  in  pieces  at  the 
passage  of  the  Alps,  for  refusing  to  sacrifice  to  Mars  the 
traveller.  They  may  show  you  the  rib  of  a  sucking  pig, 
and  tell  you  it  is  a  relic  of  one  of  the  little  innocents  who 
were  massacred  at  our  Saviour's  birth  ;  or,  lastly,  tell  you 
it  is  the  bone  of  a  saint  taken,  out  of  the  catacombs. 

"  I  was  once  in  the  abbey  of  the  Trinity  at  Vendome, 
in  France,  when  they  exposed  their  treasury  of  relics. 
They  showed  us,  among  other  things,  a  jaw  bone,  which 
the  monks  told  us  was  that  of  St.  Magdalene.  A  very 
able  physician  being  present  at  the  time,  was  ready  to 
maintain  to  their  face,  and  would  forfeit  his  head  if  he 
did  not  prove  to  them  by  the  texture,  scaling,  and  large- 
ness of  the  bone,  that  it  never  belonged  to  a  human  body, 
but  it  was  a  piece  of  the  jaw  bone  of  some  beast  or  other. 
But  the  fathers  were  so  far  from  desiring  him  to  disabuse 
them  in  the  case,  that  they  presently  popped  up  another 
relic,  to  put  him  by  his  displeasing  discourse.  This  lat- 
ter relic  was  what  they  call  the  holy  tear,  which  is  so 
famous  in  that  country.  The  tradition  they  pretend  to 
have  concerning  it  tuns  thus :  That  when  our  Saviour 
wept  over  Lazarus,  an  angel  gathered  up  his  tears  in  a 
small  crystal  phial,  and  that  having  preserved  them  a 
long  time,  he  gave  them  to  St.  Mary  Magdalene,  who 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  365 

was  then  doing  penance  at  a  place  which  is  called  La 
Sainte  Baume,  near  to  Marseilles  ;  that  in  process  of  time 
this  relic  was  carried  to  Constantinople,  where  it  con- 
tinued during  the  reign  of  the  Greek  emperor ;  and 
being  afterwards  fallen,  together  with  all  the  riches  of 
that  great  city,  into  the  hands  of  the  Turks,  a  Turkish 
emperor  presented  it  to  Godfrey,  earl  of  Vendome,  who 
deposited  it  in  this  abbey.  It  seems  by  this  tradition  it 
took  many  turns  before  it  came  thither ;  and  above  all, 
that  which  r  consider  is,  that  it  passed  through  the  hands 
of  infidels  and  enemies  to  the  name  of  Christ.  But  for 
all  this,  the  Roman  Catholics,  and  above  all,  the  monks 
of  that  abbey,  have  not  the  least  doubt  or  scruple  con- 
cerning it,  but  bestow  upon  it  the  worship  of  latria,  even 
the  same  they  give  to  Jesus  Christ  himself.  We  viewed 
this  crystal  very  attentively,  holding  it  up  against  the 
light,  and  afterwards  took  a  view  of  it  at  the  light  of  a 
wax  taper,  but  we  could  discover  nothing  of  what  they 
pleased  to  tell  us.  They  have  recourse  to  this  relic  in 
all  maladies  of  the  eyes,  and  upon  this  account  it  brings 
a  vast  income  to  these  fathers. 

"  If  all  the  false  relics  which  at  present  are  adored  in 
the  church  of  Rome,  had  voices  and  could  speak,  what 
strange  stories  should  we  hear?  Some  would  say,  we 
are  the  bones  of  heathens  or  of  malefactors;  others,  of 
horses,  asses,  dogs,  &c.  And  yet  I  question,  after  all 
this,  if  they  would  quit  them.  They  would  say,  it  is  like 
that  these  voices  are  only  the  illusions  and  artifices  of  the 
devil,  who  is  envious  at  the  glory  which  is  bestowed 
upon  the  saints ;  and  that  their  church,  being  infallible, 
having  proposed  these  relics  to  believers  to  be  worship- 
ped, she  can  neither  err  in  matter  of  right,  or  matter  of 
fact."  "  Many  English  Roman  Catholics  cannot  endure 
to  hear  that  they  bestow  adoration  upon  things  that  are  so 
very  vile  and  contemptible,  but  it  is  only  by  reason  of 
their  ignorance  of  what  passeth  in  those  countries  where 
popery  is  rampant,  for  there  may  be  seen  things  yet  far 

31* 


366  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

more  ridiculous ;  such  as  a  lantern  of  Judas,  a  shoe  of 
St.  Joseph,  hair,  parings  of  nails,  and  all  manner  of  ex- 
crements of  their  saints  and  saintesses.  The  treasures 
of  their  churches  are  filled  top  full  with  this  kind  of  pre- 
cious relics,  and  protestant  travellers  may  make  them- 
selves very  merry  in  Italy  if  they  will  give  themselves  the 
leisure  to  go  and  see  the  treasures  in  their  churches,  and 
more  especially  in  the  country  where  the  Capuchins  and 
other  mendicants  take  care  to  have  great  store  of  them. 
At  least  they  may  be  sure  to  find  there  those  implements 
the  papists  call  Agnus  Dei,  and  almost  in  every  parish, 
one  of  St.  Margaret's  girdles."  The  Ag7ii  Dei,  as  has 
been  remarked,  are  pieces  of  white  wax,  on  which  is  im- 
pressed the  figure  of  a  Lamb  carrying  a  cross.  They 
are  made  to  represent  what  John  said  of  Christ,  "  Behold 
the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world."  "  They,  (the  papists,),  believe,  therefore,  con- 
formably to  this,  that  these  agni  Dei  do  forgive  sins,  at 
least  those  that  are  not  very  heinous  ones  indeed;  and 
they  pay  almost  as  great  respect  to  them  as  they  do  to  the 
host  itself.  They  carry  them  in  procession,  they  kneel 
before  them,  they  pray  to  them.  Secular  persons  maj- 
not  touch  them  with  their  fingers  ;.  they  must  be  priests,, 
or  monks,  or  nuns,  to  whom  the  bishop  gives  this  permis- 
sion and  privilege.  The  nuns  make  it  a  great  part  of 
their  employment  to  furnish  enclosures  of  silk  for  them, 
very  neatly  wrought  with  a  needle  into  all  manner  of 
figures,  and  then  they  bestow  them  upon  such  seculars  as 
present  them  highest  for  the  sanctification  of  their  souls. 
And  besides  the  remission  of  sins,  these  agni  Dei  are 
over  and  above  very  good  to  preserve  a  Roman  Catholic 
from  all  the  evil  and  accidents  of  life." 

The  relics  of  popery  are  not  only  worshipped  but 
they  are  supposed  to  possess  peculiar  potency  to  cure 
diseases,  to  eject  evil  spirits  and  toafl^ord  protection  from 
harm.  The  superstitious  reverence  with  which  many 
regard  them  on   this   account  is  equalled   only  by  the 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  367 

shameless  impositions  of  the  priests  by  whom  it  is  en- 
couraged. The  following  narrative  illustrates  this  rer 
mark.  "  Prince  Christopher,  of  the  family  of  the  dukes 
of  Radzecil,  having  gone  a  pilgrimage  to  Rome  to  kiss  his 
holiness'  toe,  received  as  a  reward  of  his  piety,  a  box  of 
very  precious  relics.  These,  on  his  return  home,  be- 
came the  consolation  of  the  afflicted,  and  the  terror  of 
the  devil.  Even  the  most  stubborn  of  those  evil  spirits, 
over  whom  ordinary  lelics  possessed  no  influence,  ac- 
knowledged their  virtue  in  bellowings  of  submission. 

"  Scarcely  had  a  few.  months  illustrated  their  power, 
when  some  monks  with  humble  entreaty,  requested  the 
use  of  them  for  the  benefit  of  a  man  into  whom  the  devil 
had  entered.  As  the  foul  fiend  stuck  to  his  new  habita- 
tion ^yith  the  utmost  stubbornness,  and  disregarded  their 
most  cogent  conjurations,  the  prince  readily  complied  ; 
and  no  sooner  were  they  applied  to  the  body  of  the  de- 
moniac, than  the  devil  was  forced  to  decamp.  The  spec- 
tators exclaimed,  '  a  miracle  !  a  miracle  !'  and  the  prince 
lifted  up  his  heart  to  God  in  pious  gratitude  for  having 
bestowed  upon  him  such  a  holy  and  powerful  treasure. 
Some  time  after  when  the  prince  was  relating  to  his 
friends  this  Avonderful  deliverance,  and  extolling  the  vir- 
tues of  his  relics,  one  gentleman,  who  had  been  in  his 
retinue  at  Rome,  discovered  an  uncommon  incredulity. 
Being  posed  to  account  for  rejecting  such  plain  evidence 
as  attended  this  transaction,  he  told  that,  in  returnino- 
from  Rome,  he  had  unluckily  lost  the  box  of  relics  en- 
trusted to  his  care.  To  screen  himself  from  resentment, 
he  had  provided  another  exactly  similar  and  filled  it 
with  bones  and  trinkets,  and  this  was  the  identical  box 
which  had  wrought  such  wonders.     ■ 

"  Next  morning,  the  prince  sent  for  the  monks,  and 
asked  if  they  knew  any  other  demoniac  who  needed  his 
relics.  A  person  of  this  description  was  easily  found  ; 
for  the  devil  in  popish  countries  is  remarkable  for  his 
spirit  of  opposition,  and  is  generally  to  be  found  nestling 


368  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

in  the  neighborhood  of  relics.  When  the  monks  pro- 
duced the  demoniac,  the  prince  caused  him  to  be  exorci- 
sed in  his  presence,  but  without  effect.  The  devil  kept 
his  birth  with  all  the  obstinacy  of  a  mule,  and  would 
neither  be  moved  with  threats  nor  coaxing.  The  prince 
then  ordered  the  monks  to  withdraw,  and  delivered  the 
said  demoniac  to  some  Tartars  whom  he  kept  about  his 
stable,  with  orders  to  give  the  devil  his  due.  At  first 
the  devil  thought  to  terrify  them  with  his  horrible  ges- 
tures and  grimaces.  But  these  Tartars  used  their  whips 
with  such  faithfulness  as  the  devil  had  never  before  wit- 
nessed. Having  never  dreamed  of  such  a  method  of  ex- 
orcism, he  was  taken  on  his  weak  side  ;  and  therefore, 
without  the  use  of  either  relics,  hard  words,  or  holy 
water,  he  began  to  cry  for  quarter,  and  confessed  that  the 
monks  had  hired  him  to  personate  a  character  which  he 
was  ill  qualified  to  sustain. 

*'  The  prince  again  requested  the  presence  of  the 
monks,  and  produced  to  them  the  man,  who  threw  him- 
self at  his  feet,  and  acknowledged  the  imposture.  The 
monks  at  first  declared  this  to  be  only  an  artifice  of  the 
devil,  who  employed  the  organs  of  this  man  to  propagate 
such  a  falsehood,  to  the  discredit  of  religion.  But  when 
the  prince  told  them  how  necessary  it  was  to  exorcise 
the  father  of  lies  out  of  them  also,  they  began  to  repent, 
and  acknowledged  that  they  had  been  guilty  of  this  im- 
position, with  the  view  to  stop  the  progress  of  Lutheran- 
ism,  and  save  the  souls  of  all  good  papists  in  the  coun- 
try. He  then  dismissed  them,  at  the  same  time  telling 
them  that  such  pious  frauds  were  only  diabolical  inven- 
tions, and  that  he  would  no  longer  trust  his  salvation  to 
men  who  used  such  means  to  support  their  religion.  He 
accordingly  began  to  turn  his  attention  to  the  scriptures ; 
and  notwithstanding  their  obscurity  he  understood  as 
much  of  their  meaning  as  showed  him  the  absurdity  of 
popish  principles,  and  induced  him  to  make  an  open  pro- 
fession of  the  reformed  religion. 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  369 

"  The  reader  may  perhaps  be  curious  to  know  what 
the  pope  had  put  into  this  wonderful  box.  But  the  loss 
of  it  has  for  ever  deprived  us  of  this  important  piece  of 
information.  For  his  satisfaction  however  I  can  give 
him  an  abstract  of  the  catalogue  of  images  and  relics 
which  formerly  belonged  to  the  cathedral  of  Glasgow. 
At  the  reformation,  there  were  treasured  up  there,  an 
image  of  our  Saviour  in  gold,  the  twelve  apostles  in  sil- 
ver, and  two  silver  crosses,  enriched  with  precious  stones, 
and  small  portions  of  the  wood  of  the  true  cross.  There 
were  likewise  five  silver  caskets  containing  the  follow- 
ing articles  for  adoration.  1 .  Some  hair  of  the  blessed  vir- 
gin. 2.  A  piece  of  the  hairy  garment  worn  by  St.  Ken- 
tigern,  a  part  of  the  scourge  with  which  he  flogged 
himself,  and  a  part  of  the  scourge  used  by  St.  Thomas  a 
Becket.  3.  A  piece  of  St.  Bartholomew's  skin.  4.  A 
bone  of  St.  Ninian.  5.  A  piece  of  the  girdle  worn  by 
the  virgin  Mary.  In  a  crystal  was  found  a  bone  of  St. 
Magdalene.  There  were  also  four  crystal  phials,  con- 
taining a  part  of  the  virgin  Mary's  milk,  a  piece  of  the 
manger  in  which  Christ  was  laid,  some  bones  of  St.  Eu- 
gene and  St.  Blaise,  and  a  part  of  the  tomb  of  St.  Catha- 
rine. There  were  six  hides  containing  very  precious 
relics,  such  as  a  piece  of  St.  Martin's  cloak,  part  of  the 
bodies  of  St.  Kentigern  and  St.  Thomas  a  Becket.  Two 
linen  bags  were  filled  with  saints'  bones,  and  a  vast  as- 
semblage of  small  relics  were  lodged  in  a  wooden  chest. 

"  When  the  reformation  rendered  relics  and  images 
useless  in  Scotland,  the  archbishop  of  Glasgow  retired  to 
France  carrying  along  with  him  this  precious  treasure. 
Though  I  cannot  at  present  give  the  reader  a  full  view 
of  the  uses  of  relics  in  religion,  there  is  one,  which  it 
would  be  doing  injustice  to  the  subject  to  omit.  Like- 
oral  tradition  they  have  been  found  of  vast  importance  in 
explaining  obscure  passages  of  scripture.  Of  this  many 
edifying  illustrations  might  be  produced,  but  one  will 
serve  as  a  specimen  of  the  whole.     Five  devout  pilgrims, 


370  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

happening  to  meet  on  their  return  from  Rome  loaded 
with  these  excellent  helps  to  religion,  each  began  to  extol 
his  acquisitions.  After  much  conversation  highly  cha- 
racteristic of  their  faithful  simplicity,  they  produced  their 
riches,  and  lo  !  to  their  amazement,  each  one  was  hon- 
ored with  a  foot  of  the  very  ass  upon  which  Christ  rode 
to  Jerusalem.  Now  the  reader  may  recollect  that  the 
scriptures  do  not  even  tell  us  that  this  ass  had  a  foot,  but 
here  is  decisive  proof  of  the  existence  of  five,  and  if  five 
were  collected  by  five  pilgrims  only,  let  the  reader  con- 
ceive how  many  must  be  travelling  through  other  parts 
of  the  church,  to  assist  the  simple  faithful  in  their  exer- 
cises of  devotion. 

"  When  papists  maintain  the  usefulness  of  relics,  as  a 
means  of  devotion,  it  is  merely  a  cloak  of  the  priests  for 
the  most  selfish  purposes.  Wherever  these  appendages 
of  superstition  have  abounded,  they  have  always  been 
connected  with  swarms  of  monks,  remarkable  only  for 
their  vices,  and  for  impoverishing  the  bigotted  and  igno- 
rant. Mistaken  views  introduced  them  at  first  into  the 
church,  and  afterwards  they  have  been  used  to  render 
mankind  subservient  to  popish  priests.  The  advice 
given  to  pope  Julius  III.  by  the  bishops  assembled  at 
Bonbnia,  discovers  the  light  in  which  the  crafty  ecclesi- 
astics of  popery  view  the  relics  of  the  saints.  '  When  any 
bishop,'  said  they,  *  sets  himself  to  officiate  in  any  divine 
service,  with  pomp  and  solemnity,  he  ought  to  have  many 
ornaments  to  distinguish  him  from  ordinary  priests  ; 
such  as  the  bones  and  relics  of  some  dead  man.  Do  you 
command  him  to  hang  a  whole  leg,  arm,  or  head  of  some 
saint  about  his  neck,  by  a  good  thick  cord  ;  for  that  will 
contribute  very  much  to  increase  the  religious  astonish- 
ment of  all  that  behold  it.'  The  truth  is,  that  these  cere- 
monies were  all  invented  and  continued  by  popes."' — 
Among  the  medicinal  relics  on  which  popery  greatly 
dependSj  it  is  said  a  pope's  shirt  is  regarded  as  very  effi- 
cacious.    It  is  taken  off*  and  without  washing,  for  that 


HISTORY  OF  POPERY.  371 

would  extract  its  virtue,  it  is  cut  in  small  pieces,  and 
distributed  to  the  faithful  as  a  special  favor.  These  por- 
tions are  again  cut  fine,  and  strewed  into  food,  as  a  spe- 
cific in  certain  cases,  or  a  general  preventive.  Whether 
this  dose  is  called  an  essence,  or  a  tincture  of  popery,  we 
are  not  informed  ;  but  surely  it  is  evidence  of  strong  con- 
fidence in  its  virtue. 

Nearly  allied  to  this  subject  is  another  of  the  supersti- 
tions of  popery,  and  that  relates  to  pious  frauds  and 

PRETENDED  MIRACLES. 

The  doctrine,  that  to  lie  or  deceive  for  the  glory  of 
God,  and  the  promotion  of  religion,  is  right,  early  found 
its  way,  from  heathen  sources,  into  the  Christian  church. 
And  when  the  popish  apostacy  occurred,  this  was  one 
of  the  corruptions  of  the  church  and  of  the  gospel,  which 
was  found  well  suited  to  the  purposes  of  popery,  and  was 
therefore  adopted  and  cherished  by  her.  Various  sto- 
ries and  legends  of  saints  and  their  works  have  been  in- 
vented and  propagated,  which  have  no  foundation  in 
truth,  and  are  no  better  than  the  fables  of  the  heathen. 
But  a  more  serious  form  of  this  fraud  is  the  promulgation 
of  books,  ascribed  falsely  to  ancient  saints  or  fathers,  and 
bearing  their  names,  but  which  were  produced  for  some 
occasion,  and  these  names  falsely  appended  to  give  them 
currency  and  weight.  Some  examples  of  this  kind  have 
been  mentioned  in  the  preceding  historical  sketch.  But 
these  forgeries  were  numerous,  and  constitute  no  incon- 
siderable share  of  popish  authority. 

Another  form  of  these  frauds  was  the  statement  of 
wonders  and  miracles  that  never  occurred,  or  an  attempt 
at  imposition,  in  making  use  of  false  appearances  to  de- 
ceive the  credulous.  Of  the  former  class  is  the  fable  of 
St.  Winnock,  that  his  mill,  when  he  let  go  of  it,  to  say 
his  prayers,  would  turn  of  itself;  and  that  when  an  in- 
quisitive monk  looked  in  through  a  crevice,  to  gratify  his 
curiosity,  he  was  struck  blind  for  his  presumption.  The 
biographer  of  St.  Pardulphus  makes  a  child's  cradle  to 


372  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

rock  day  after  day  without  hands,  while  if  touched,  it 
stopped  and  remained  immoveable.  In  the  life  of  St. 
Guthlock,  of  Croyland,  it  is  stated,  that  while  the  saint 
was  praying  at  his  vigils,  a  vast  number  of  devils  entered 
his  cell,  rising  out  of  the  ground  and  issuing  through  cre- 
vices, of  direful  aspect,  terrible  in  form,  with  huge  heads, 
long  necks,  pale  faces,  sickly  countenances,  squalid 
beards,  bristly  ears,  wrinkled  foreheads,  malicious  eyes, 
iilthy  mouths,  horses'  teeth,  fire-emitting  throats,  lantern 
jaws,  broad  lips,  terrific  voices,  singed  hair,  high  cheek 
bones,  prominent  breasts,  scaly  thighs,  knotty  knees, 
crooked  legs,  swollen  ankles,  inverted  feet,  and  open 
mouths,  hoarse  and  clamorous.  These  bound  the  saint 
fast,  dragged  him  through  hedges  and  briars,  lifted  him 
up  from  the  earth,  and  carried  him  to  the  mouth  of  hell, 
where  he  saw  all  the  torments  of  the  damned.  But 
while  they  were  threatening  to  confine  him  there,  St. 
Bartholomew  appeared  in  glory  to  him,  the  devils  were 
affrighted,  and  he  was  conducted  back  to  his  cell  by  his 
celestial  deliverer."  All  this,  it  is  needless  to  say,  is 
barefaced  falsehood.  It  is  invented  for  effect.  All  this 
show  of  raw  head  and  bloody  bones  is  got  up  to  set  off 
St.  Bartholomew,  and  the  efficacy  of  his  aid,  and  to-  in- 
duce poor  deluded,  affrighted  bigots  to  worship  him. 

Again.  "  St.  Anselm  records,  that  a  famous  robber  en- 
tered one  morning  into  the  cottage  of  a  poor  w^idow,  with 
an  intention  of  robbing  her;  but  judging  her  unworthy 
of  his  rapine,  he  began  to  accost  her  in  a  familiar  and 
merry  strain  :  '  Have  you  breakfasted  yet,  my  good  wo- 
man ?'  *I  breakfast,, sir,'  said  she,  'God  forbid  that  I 
should  so  violate  the  vow  I  have  made,  to  fast  every  Sa- 
turday of  the  year.'  'Every  Saturday,  and  why  that?' 
replied  he.  '  Because,'  answered  the  widow,  '  I  have 
heard  from  a  preacher,  very  famous  in  doctrine,  and  still 
more  so  in  the  sanctity  of  his  life,  that  whosoever  fasts 
on  Saturday,  in  honor  of  our  lady,  cannot  die  without 
confession.'     The  robber  at  these  words  felt  compunc- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  373 

tion,  fell  down  on  his  knees,  and  promised  and  swore  to 
the  queen  of  angels  to  fast  every  Saturday  too ;  which 
promise  he  kept  inviolably  ever  after.  But  as  he  still 
continued  his  robberies,  he  was  one  day  surprised  by  some 
travellers,  who  with  one  stroke  of  a  sword,  severed  his 
head  from  his  body.  His  executioners,  thinking  they 
had  done  his  business  for  him  effectually,  withdrew  from 
him  a  few  steps  ;  when  lo,  the  head  of  him  that  was 
killed  fell  a  crying,  '  Confession,  masters,  I  beg  that  at 
least  I  may  have  confession.'  After  they  had  a  little  re- 
covered from  the  astonishment  and  panic,  which  such  a 
prodigy  caused,  they  ran  to  the  next  village,  to  advertise 
the  curate,  who  immediately  came,  accompanied  by  a 
great  number  of  his  parishioners,  desirous  of  beholding 
the  miracle  ;  and  having  joined  the  head  to  the  body,  he 
gave  him  confession  as  he  desired.  This  being  done, 
the  penitent  having  thanked  him  for  his  good  office,  said 
to  him  with  a  voice  so  distinct  and  high  as  to  be  easily 
heard  by  all  present,  '  Masters,  I  never  did  any  good 
thing  in  all  my  life  time,  but  fast  every  Saturday  in  honor 
of  the  mother  of  God.  In  the  very  instant  I  received  the 
deadly  blow,  a  frightful  troop  of  devils,  surrounded  me, 
for  to  seize  my  soul;  but  the  blessed  virgin  coming  to 
my  aid,  she  drove  these  forthwith  far  from  me  by  her 
divine  presence,  and  would  not  suffer  my  soul  to  leave 
my  body,  till  I  should  be  sufficiently  contrite  and  make 
confession  of  my  sins.'  He  spoke  thus,  and  having 
entreated  the  attendants  to  pray  for  him,  he  passed  from 
this  life  into  one  more  happy  and  glorious." 

The  object  of  this  fable  is  sufficiently  manifest,  for  its 
cloak  is  thin  ;  it  serves  to  magnify  the  idol  Mary,  and  to 
encourage  the  superstitious  fast  of  every  Saturday,  in 
the  view  of  all  who  believe  it.  But  it  is  all  a  lie,  a  bare- 
faced falsehood  made  for  the  occasion.  Many  miracu- 
lous adventures  are  related  of  saint  Xavier,  who  is  called 
the  (popish)  apostle  of  the  Indies.  It  is  related  of  this 
saint,  that  being  on  a  voyage  at  sea,  with  a  holy  cruciiix 

32 


374  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

which  he  valued  above  all  things  in  the  world,  he  had 
the  misfortune  to  lose  it  overboard,  and  was  quite  incon- 
solable. After  landing  at  the  country  whither  he  went, 
and  walking  on  the  sea-shore,  he  saw  his  favorite  image 
coming  towards  him,  elevated  above  the  surface  of  the 
water.  Gazing  with  astonishment  and  delight,  and  going 
to  the  water's  edge,  "  it  was  most  reverently  laid  at  his  feet 
by  a  crab,  who  had  borne  it  in  his  claws  through  the  ocean, 
to  the  very  spot,  where  the  saint  was  miraculously 
brought  to  receive  it."  Who,  that  is  not  besotted  with 
superstition  can  believe  such  a  story  as  this  ?  And  yet, 
under  the  influence  of  blind  superstition,  the  effects  of 
such  a  fable  are  wonderful.  But  a  more  scandalous  form 
of  pious  frauds  under  pretence  of  miracles,  is  to  endeavor 
to  impose  upon  people  by  false  appearances.  Lying 
wonders  have  been  practised  by  papists  in  every  age. 
In  the  history  of  the  lives  of  the  protestant  reformers  in 
Scotland,  as  cited  by  McGavin,  is  the  following  example. 
"  About  the  year  1549,  a  poor  friendless  boy,  of  whose 
birth  his  parents  had  probably  been  ashamed,  tended  the 
sheep  belonging  to  the  nun«  of  Sienna,  about  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  south  of  Edinburgh.  It  was  one  of  his  childish 
amusements  to  turn  up  the  white  of  his  eyes,  and  in 
doing  it,  he  succeeded  so  well,  as  to  be  able,  at  his  plea- 
sure, to  appear  entirely  blind.  The  nuns  observed  him 
in  his  amusement,  and  spoke  of  it  to  some  priests  and 
friars  who  were  their  visitors,  It  immediately  occurred 
to  them,  that  if  proper  care  were  taken  of  this  young 
person,  he  might,  in  course  of  time,  become  the  fit  sub- 
ject of  a  miracle.  The  injiocent  child  was  secreted  from 
public  view,  it  has  been  said,  seven  or  eight  years,  and 
mostly  in  one  of  the  cells,  or  in  some  retired  apartment 
of  the  convent.  At  the  end  of  that  number  of  years,  his 
stature  and  features  were  so  much  altered,  that  he  could 
not  easily  be  recollected  by  the  few  persons  who  formerly 
had  known  him.  He  was  now  judged  to  be  of  a  proper 
age  to  be  sent  forth  as  a  blind  mendicant,  and  to  receive 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  375 

instructions  how  he  should  behave.  A  person  was  hired 
to  conduct  him,  who  believed  him  to  have  been  born 
blind,  and  to  have  been  hitherto  supported  chiefly  by 
charitable  contributions  from  the  ladies  of  Sienna.  This 
simple  young  man,  who  scarcely  knew  any  other  people 
in  the  world,  than  those  under  whose  tuition  he  had  been 
held,  readily  promised  to  obey  their  injunctions.  They 
bound  him  by  a  solemn  but  rash  vow  to  affect  blindness, 
and  beg  alms,  till  they  should  advertise  him  to  the  con- 
trary. He»  kept  his  promise,  and  for  a  considerable 
space  of  time  was  led  through  the  country,  receiving 
such  alms  as  benevolent  people  were  disposed  to  give 
him.  At  last  the  period  arrived  when  those  priests  and 
friars  who  were  in  the  secret  of  his  not  being  really 
blind,  thought  it  expedient  that  he  should  be  relieved 
from  his  hard  condition. 

At  the  east  end  of  the  village  of  Musselburgh,  in  Mid- 
Lothian,  was  a  celebrated  chapel,  dedicated  to  the  honor 
of  the  virgin  Mary.  Its  proper  name  was  Loretta. 
There  was  also  a  chapel  of  the  same  name  in  Perth,  and 
many  credulous  people  in  the  Lothians,  and  at  Perth,  as 
well  as  the  people  of  Loretta,  in  Italy,  believed  that  their 
chapel  contained  within  it  the  small  brick  built  house,  in 
which  the  blessed  mother  of  our  Lord  dwelt  when  at 
Nazareth;  and  that  it  had  been  conveyed  and  upheld 
entire  from  its  original  seat  by  the  ministration  of  angels. 
It  was  in  the  well-frequented  chapel  at  Musselburgh, 
and  where  miracles  were  most  commonly  expected  to  be 
seen,  that  the  pupil  of  the  nuns  was  to  receive  his  sight. 
Public  intimation  of  the  miracle  to  be  performed,  was 
given  in  Edinburgh,  and  in  the  neighboring  parts,  and 
on  the  day  appointed,  a  prodigious  number  of  people  were 
assembled.  They  found  that  there  was  a  stage  erected 
on  the  outside  of  the  chapel.  Having  waited  a  little 
while,  they  beheld,  led  forward  upon  this  stage,  the 
seemingly  blind  young  man,  whom  many  of  them  knew, 
and  whose  blindness  they  had  probably  often  pitied.     He 


376  HISTORY  or  popery. 

was  attended  by  priests  and  friars,  and,  no  doubt  also  by 
Thomas  the  hermit,  a  famous  worker  of  miracles,  if  he 
was  then  alive.  After  some  time  spent  in  prayers  and 
ceremonies,  his  eyes,  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  multitude 
appeared  to  be  perfectly  restored.  The  young  man,  who 
had  long  been  restricted  from  employing  honest  means 
for  his  subsistence,  now  sincerely  rejoiced.  He  returned 
thanks  to  the  priests  and  friars  ;  and  when  he  came  down 
from  the  stage  was  caressed  and  congratulated  by  the 
people,  some  of  whom  gave  him  money.  A  protestant 
gentleman  present,  detected  the  cheat,  and  took  the  young 
man  into  his  service." 

The  above  is  a  fair  specimen  of  popish  miracles,  and 
shews  that,  however  fair  may  be  their  pretences  and 
appearances,  no  confidence  can  be  placed  in  their  state- 
ments. Their  miracles  are  mere  tricks  and  cheats, 
which  prove  that  they  utterly  disregard  the  truth  and 
stick  at  nothing  which  will  accomplish  their  purposes. 
But  there  is  still  more  serious  ground  for  the  charge  of 
fraud  and  falsehood  in  the  popish  system,  and  that  is 
found  in  the  precepts,  maxims,  and  doctrines  of  popery. 
Lying  and  perjury  are  not  only  practised  by  papists, 
but  they  are  allowed  and  encouraged  if  not  enjoined. 
There  are  indeed  three  general  principles  of  popery, 
which  sanction  the  commission  of  any  crime  when 
occasion  requires.  The  first  is,  that  the  allegiance  of 
papists  to  tke  pope  is  paramount  to  every  other,  and  must 
be  maintained  at  the  expense  of  every  other.  The  second 
is  their  obligation  at  all  times,  and  by  any  means,  to  do 
that  which  shall  be  for  the  interests  of  popery.  The 
third  is,  the  ability  of  the  pope  and  the  priests  in  the 
view  of  their  followers,  for  they  are  to  their  votaries  in 
the  place  of  God,  to  dispense  with  any  obligation,  to 
absolve  from  any  sin,  or  to  sanction  any  act,  however 
contrary  to  religion,  justice  or  truth.  These  principles, 
as  all  will  see,  make  the  end  justify  the  means,  and  make 
the  nature  of  virtue  to  depend  on  the  will  of  the  pope  and 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  377 

the  priests.  By  a  single  110(1,  the  pope,  as  papists  believe, 
can  change  the  essential  attributes  of  right  and  wrong. 
On  this  ground  the  teachers  of  popery  have  ventured  to 
promulgate  maxims  in  morals,  which  would  have 
shocked  many  of  the  ancient  heathen.  The  doctrines  of 
the  Jesuits,  for  example,  are  replete  with  the  most  abhor- 
rent dissimulation  and  falsehoods.  The  vilest  crime  if 
performed  with  an  intention  to  benefit  the  church  and 
injure  heretics,  is  according  to  them,  changed  into  a 
virtue. — That  no  faith  is  to  be  kept  with  heretics,  we 
have  already  seen,  is  a  favorite  maxim  with  them,  and 
one  which  has  been  followed  by  every  species  of  fraud 
and  treachery.  A  few  examples  of  morality  from  Jesu- 
istical  writers  are  subjoined. 

Sanchez  says,  '*  An  oath  obliges  not  beyond  the  in- 
tention of  him  who  takes  it,  because  he  that  hath  no 
intention  to  swear,  cannot  be  obliged  in  conscience  to  any- 
thing at  all." 

Escobar.  *'  By  means  of  a  bull,  a  person  may  change 
the  vow  he  hath  made  not  to  sin." 

Escobar  inquires,  "  Is  a  person  who  makes  a- vow  not 
to  commit  fornication,  upon  pain  of  some  pilgrimage,  and 
afterwards  not  remembering  his  vow;  goes  on  in  the  sin, 
obliged  to  accomplish  his  vow  ?"  To  this  Sanchez 
answers.  "  He  is  not  obliged,  because  his  blameless 
forgetfulness  is  equivalent  to  ignorance." 

Escobar,  "  A  person  addresseth  himself  to  a  confes- 
sor to  make  general  confession  of  sin  to  him.  He  is  not 
obliged  to  declare  all  the  mortal  sins  he  hath  committed, 
for  although  he  lie,  it  is  of  small  concern  to  the  judgment 
the  confessor  is  to  make  of  him." 

Sanchez.  "  A  person  who  hath  promised  marriage  to 
another  whether  it  were  made  sincerely  or  only  in  ap- 
pearance, is  discharged  by  any  reason  from  holding  his 
promise.  Being  called  before  a  judge  he  may  swear 
that  he  hath  not  made  the  promise,  meaning  that  he  hath 
not  made  it  so  as  to  be  obliged  to  observe  it.     Because  he 

33* 


378  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

may  persuade  himself  in  conscience  that  he  is  not  obli- 
ged." 

Sanchez.  "St.  Francis  lawfully  used  the  equivoca- 
tion which  is  attributed  to  him,  when  being  interrogated 
by  the  officers  of  justice,  if  a  malefactor  whom  they 
sought  after  had  gone  that  way,  he  answered,  putting  his 
hands  in  the  sleeves  of  his  gown,  he  is  not  gone  this 
way,  meaning  where  he  had  his  hands.  He  might  also 
have  answered,  he  hath  not  passed  this  way,  intending 
the  particular  place  where  his  foot  or  his  hand  was." 

Sanchez.  "  A  man  may  swear,  understanding  secret- 
ly, that  he  hath  done  it  as  far  as  he  is  obliged  to  speak 
clearly  and  to  expound  himself,  or  by  forming  some  other 
thoughts  which  may  make  his  answer  true.  Because  he 
is  not  obliged  to  answer  the  thoughts  and  intentions 
which  he  haih  who  examines  him,  but  to  that  which  he 
ought  to  have  ;  his  answer  is  true,  following  the  inten- 
tion and  the  thought  which  he  ought  to  have." 

Layman.  "  He  who  by  inveterate  custom,  a  sort  of 
imperious  necessity  is  transported  to  do  evil,  and  to  speak 
perjury,  sins  not  at  all,  because  a  man  cannot  sin  without 
rational  knowledge  and  deliberation." 

Bauny.  "  He  who  maintains  an  heretical  proposition, 
without  believing  it,  or  who  is  a  communicant  among  pro- 
testants  without  having  his  heart  there,  but  out  of  pure 
derision  or  to  comply  with  the  times,  or  to  accomplish  his 
designs  ;  ought  not  to  be  esteemed  a  protestant,  because 
his  understanding  is  not  infected  with  error. 

Taberna.  "  Is  a  witness  bound  to  declare  the  truth 
before  a  legitimate  judge  ?  No,  if  his  deposition  will 
injure  himself,  his  family,  or  property  ;  or  if  he  be  a 
priest,  for  a  priest  cannot  be  forced  to  testify  before  a  se- 
cular judge.  He  who  is  not  bound  to  state  truth  before 
swearing  is  not  bound  by  his  oath." 

Layman.  "  It  is  not  sufficient  for  an  oath,  that  we  use 
the  formal  words,  if  we  have  not  the  intention  and  will 
to  swear." 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  379 

Filiucius.  "  A  priest  who  hath  received  a  large  sum  of 
money  to  say  masses,  may  hire  other  priests  to  sing  them 
as  cheap  as  he  can,  and  retain  the  surplus  to  himself." 

Escobar  inquires,  "  Is  it  lawful  to  suborn  any  person 
to  swear  a  false  thing?  "  To  which  popish  writers  an- 
swer in  the  affirmative." 

Filiucius  thus  replies  ;  "  Any  one  upon  a  lawful  cause, 
may  request  a  man  to  swear,  though  he  will  be  forsworn, 
and  this  thing  is  not  evil  in  itself,  to  require  an  oath  of  a 
person  whom  we  know  will  forswear  himself." 

The  above  rule,  it  will  be  observed,  sanctions  false 
swearing  to  any  conceivable  extent.  Because,  as  every 
person  estimates  his  own  cause  good  and  lawful,  so  if  he 
may  suborn  witnesses  to  swear  to  what  he  judges  a  good 
cause,  then  every  man  in  his  own  cause  or  any  other  in 
which  he  takes  an  interest  and  forms  a  judgment,  may 
procure  all  the  false  witnesses  he  can  influence.  This 
principle  it  will  be  seen  saps  the  foundation  of  civil  go- 
vernment, and  makes  a  court  of  justice  a  mere  mart  of 
perjury  and  corruption.  But  these  are  maxims  openly 
taught  by  the  great  masters  of  popish  morals.  This 
principle  they  unblushingly  avow.  What  then  must  we 
expect  to  find,  if  we  look  behind  the  curtain  and  observe 
the  secret  instructions  and  rules  by  which  this  communi- 
ty is  governed  ? 

The  Secreta  Monita  of  the  Jesuits,  or  their  secret  rules 
and  instructions,  have  been  already  mentioned,  as  hav- 
ing providentially  come  abroad  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
world,  and  as  having  disclosed  the  duplicity  of  this  or- 
der of  papists.  A  few  extracts  from  this  book  may  per- 
haps form  a  proper  conclusion  to  the  present  topic.  The 
second  chapter  of  this  book  has  the  following  caption. 
Chap.  II.  "  In  what  manner  the  society  must  deport, 
that  they  may  work  themselves  into,  and  after  that  pre- 
serve a  familiarity  with  princes,  noblemen,  and  persons 
of  the  greatest  distinction."  1.  Princes  and  persons  of 
distinction  every  where  must  by  all  means  be  so  man- 


380  HISTORY    OF    POPERY, 

aged,  that  we  may  have  their  ear  ;  and  that  will  secure 
their  hearts,  by  which  way  of  proceeding,  all  persons 
will  become  our  creatures,  and  no  one  will  dare  to  give 
the  society  the  least  disquiet  or  opposition.  2.  That  ec- 
clesiastical person  gain  a  great  footing  in  the  favor  of 
princes  and  noblemen,  by  winking  at  their  vices,  and 
putting  a  favorable  construction  on  whatever  they  do 
amiss  ;  experience  evinces,  and  this  we  may  observe  in 
their  contracting  of  marriages  with  their  near  relation, 
and  kindred  or  the  like.  It  must  be  our  business  to  en- 
courage such,  whose  inclination  lies  this  way,  by  leading 
them  up  in  hopes  that  through  our  assistance  they  may 
easily  obtain  a  dispensation  from  the  pope  ;  and  no  doubt 
he  will  readily  grant  it,  if  proper  reasons  be  urged,  par- 
allel cases  produced,  and  opinions  quoted  which  sanc- 
tion such  actions,  when  the  common  good  of  mankind, 
and  the  greater  advancement  of  God's  glory,  (which  are 
the  only  end  and  design  of  the  society,)  are  pretended 
to  be  the  sole  motives  of  them.  3.  The  same  must  be 
observed,  when  the  prince  happens  to  engage  in  any 
enterprize,  which  is  not  equally  approved  by  all  his  nobi- 
lity, for  in  such  cases  he  must  be  edged  on  and  excited  ; 
whilst  they  on  the  other  hand,  must  be  dissuaded  from 
opposing  him,  and  advised  to  acquiesce  in  all  his  propo- 
sals. But  this  must  be  done  only  in  generals,  always 
avoding  'particulars,  lest  on  the  ill  success  of  the  affair,  the 
miscarriage  be  thrown  on  the  society.  An^d  should  ever 
the  action  be  called  in  question,  care  must  be  taken  to  have 
instructions  ready,  plainly  forbidding  it ;  and  these  also 
must  be  backed  by  the  authority  of  some  seignior  mem- 
bers, who,  being  wholly  ignorant  of  the  matter,  must  at- 
test upon  oath,  that  such  groundless  insinuations  are  a 
malicious  and  base  imputation  on  the  society.  4.  It  will 
also  very  much  further  us  in  gaining  the  favor  of  princes,  if 
our  members  artfully  insinuate  themselves,  by  the  inte- 
rest of  others,  into  honorable  embassies  to  foreign  courts 
in  their  behalf,  but  especially  to  the  pope  and  great  mon- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  381 

archs  ;  for. by  such  opportunities,  they  will  be  in  a  capa- 
city both  to  recommend  themselves  and  their  society. 
To  this  end  therefore,  let  none  but  thorough  zealots  for 
our  interests,  and  persons  well  versed  in  the  schemes  and 
institutions  of  the  society,  be  ever  pitched  upon  for  such 
purposes.  5.  Above  all,  one  care  must  be  taken  to  curry 
favor  with  the  minions  and  domestics  of  princes  and 
noblemen  ;  whom,  by  small  presents,  and  many  offices  of 
piety,  we  must  so  far  bias,  as  by  means  of  them,  to  get 
a  faithful  intelligence  of  the  bent  of  their  masters'  humors 
and  inclinations,  thus  will  the  society  be  better  qualified 
to  chime  in  with  all  their  tempers.  6.  How  much  the 
society  has  been  benefitted  from  their  engagements  in 
marriage  treaties,  the  houses  of  Austria,  Bourbon,  Po- 
land, and  other  kingdoms,  are  experimental  evidences. 
Wherefore  let  such  matches  be  with  prudence  picked  out, 
whose  parents  are  our  friends,  and  firmly  attached  to  our 
interests.  7.  Princesses  and  ladies  of  quality  are  easily 
to  be  gained  by  the  influence  of  the  women  of  their  bed- 
chamber, for  which  reason,  we  must  by  all  means  pay 
a  particular  respect  to  these,  for  hereby  there  will  be  no 
secrets  in  the  family,  but  what  we  shall  have  fully  dis- 
closed to  us.  8.  In  directing  the  consciences  of  great 
men,  it  must  be  observed,  that  our  confessors  are  to  fol- 
low the  opinion  of  those  who  allow  the  greater  latitude, 
in  opposition  to  that  of  other  religious  orders  ;  that  their 
penitents  being  allured  by  the  prospect  of  such  freedom, 
may  readily  relinquish  them  and  depend  wholly  upon 
our  direction  and  counsel." 

Chapter  IV.  (for  room  cannot  be  afforded  for  all  these 
secret  directions)  relates  to  the  chief  things  to  be  recom- 
mended to  preachers  and  confessors  of  noblemen.  1. 
Let  the  members  of  our  society  direct  princes  and  great 
men  in  such  a  manner,  that  they  may  seem  to  have  noth- 
ing else  in  view  but  the  promotion  of  God's  glory  ;  and 
advise  them  to  no  other  austerity  of  conscience,  but  what 
they  themselves  are  willing  to  comply  with  ;  for  their 


382  HISTORY    OF    POFERY. 

aim  must  not,  immediately,  but  by  degrees  and  insensi- 
bly, be  directed  towards  political  and  secular  dominion. 
2.  We  must  therefore  often  inculcate  into  tliem,  that 
honors  and  preferments  in  the  state  should  always  be  con- 
ferred according  to  the  rules  of  justice  ;  that  God  is  very 
much  offended  at  princes  when  they  in  any  wise  dero- 
gate from  this  principle,  and  are  hurried  away  by  the 
impulse  of  their  passions.  In  the  next  place,  our  mem- 
bers must  with  gravity  protest,  and  in  a  solemn  manner 
affirm,  that  the  administration  of  public  affairs  is  what 
they  with  reluctance  interfere  in,  and  that  the  duty  of 
their  office  obliges  them  often  to  speak  such  truths  as  they 
would  otherwise  omit.  When  this  point  is  once  gained, 
care  must  be  taken  to  lay  before  them  the  several  virtues 
persons  should  be  furnished  with,  who  are  to  be  admitted 
to  public  employs ;  not  forgetting  cautiously  to  recom- 
mend to  them  such  as  are  sincere  friends  to  our  order. 
But  this  must  be  done  in  such  a  manner  as  not  to  come 
immediately  from  us,  unless  the  prince  enjoin  it,  for  it 
may  be  effected  with  far  better  grace  by  such  as  are  their 
favorites  and  familiars.  3.  Wherefore,  let  the  confessors 
and  preachers  belonging  to  our  order  be  informed  by  our 
friends  of  persons  proper  for  every  office,  and  above  all, 
of  such  as  are  our  benefactors ;  whose  names  let  them 
always  carefully  keep  by  therii,  that  when  proper  oppor- 
tunities occur,  they  may  be  palmed  upon  princes  by  the 
dexterity  of  our  members  or  their  agents.  6.  Imme- 
diately upon  the  death  of  any  person  in  post,  let  them 
take  timely  care  to  get  some  friend  of  our  society  pre-- 
ferred  in  his  room ;  but  this  must  be  cloaked  with  such 
cunning  and  management,  as  to  avoid  giving  the  least 
suspicion  of  our  intending  to  usurp  the  prince's  authori- 
ty ;  for  this  reason  we  ourselves  must  not  appear  in  it, 
but  make  a  handle  of  the  artifice  of  some  faithful  friends 
for  effecting  our  designs,  whose  power  may  screen  them 
from  the  envy  which  would  otherwise  fall  heavier  upon 
the  society," 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  383 

Chapters  VI.  and  VII.  relate  to  the  "proper  method  of 
inducing  rich  widows  not  to  marry  again,  and  to  be  libe- 
ral to  the  society  of  Jesuits.  "  1.  For  the  management 
of  this  affair,  let  such  members  only  be  chosen  as  are 
advanced  in  age,  of  a  lively  complexion,  and  agreeable 
conversation  ;  let  these  frequently  visit  such  widows,  and 
the  minute  they  begin  to  show  any  affection  towards  our 
order,  then  is  the  time  to  lay  before  them  the  merits  and 
good  works  of  the  society ;  if  they  seem  kindly  to  give 
ear  to  this,  and  begin  to  visit  our  churches,  we  must  by 
all  means  take  care  to  provide  them  confessors,  by  whom 
they  may  be  well  admonished,  especially  to  a  constant 
perseverance  in  a  state  of  widowhood,  and  this  by  enu- 
merating and  praising  the  advantages  and  felicity  of  a 
single  life  ;  and  let  them  pawn  their  faiths  and  themselves 
too,  as  a  security  that  a  firm  continuance  in  such  a  pious 
resolution  will  infallibly  purchase  an  eternal  merit,  and 
prove  a  most  effectual  means  of  escaping  the  otherwise 
certain  pains  of  purgatory.  4.  Care  must  be  taken  to 
remove  such  servants,  particularly,  as  do  not  keep  a  good 
understanding  with  the  society ;  but  let  this  be  done  by 
little  and  little ;  and  when  we  have  managed  so  as  to  work 
them  out,  let  such  be  recommended  as  already  are,  or 
would  willingly  become  our  creatures ;  then  shall  we 
dive  into  every  secret,  and  have  a  finger  in  all  that  is  done 
in  the  family.  5.  The  confessor  must  manage  his  matters 
so,  that  the  widow  may  have  such  faith  in  him,  as  not  to 
do  the  least  thing  without  his  advice,  and  his  only;  which 
he  may  occasionally  insinuate  to  be  the  only  basis  of  her 
spiritual  edification.  6.  She  must  be  advised  to  the  fre- 
quent use  and  celebration  of  the  sacraments,  but  espe- 
cially that  of  penance,  because  in  that  she  freely  makes 
a  discovery  of  her  most  secret  thoughts,  and  every  tempta- 
tion. 8.  Discourses  must  be  made  to  her  concerning  the 
advantages  of  a  state  of  widowhood,  the  inconveniences 
of  wedlock,  especially  when  it  is  repeated,  and  the  dan- 
gers to  which  mankind  expose  themselves  to  by  it ;  but 


384  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

above  all,  such  as  more  particularly  affect  her.  9.  It 
will  be  proper,  every  now  and  then,  cunningly  to  propose 
to  her  some  match  \  but  such  an  one,  be  sure,  as  you 
know  she  has  an  .aversion  to  ;  and  if  it  be  thought  she 
has  a  kindness  to  any  one,  let  his  vices  and  failings  be 
represented  to  her  in  a  proper  light,  that  she  may  abhor 
the  thoughts  of  altering  her  condition  with  any  person 
whatsoever.  10.  When,  therefore,  it  is  manifest  that  she 
is  well  disposed  to  continue  a  widow,  it  will  then  be  time 
to  recommend  to  her  a  spiritual  life,  but  not  a  recluse  one, 
the  inconveniences  of  which  must  be  magnified  to  her, 
but  such  an  one  as  Paula's  or  Eustochius' ;  and  let  the 
confessor,  having  as  soon  as  possible  prevailed  with  her 
to  make  a  vow  of  chastity,  for  two  or  three  years  at  least, 
take  due  care  to  oppose  all  tendencies  to  a  second  mar- 
riage ;  and  then  all  conversation  with  men  and  diversions, 
even  with  her  near  relations  and  kinsfolks,  must  be  for- 
bid her,  under  pretence  of  entering  into  a  stricter  com- 
munion with  God.  As  for  the  ecclesiastics,  who  either 
visit  the  widow  or  receive  visits  from'  her,  if  they  all  can- 
not be  worked  out,  yet  let  none  be  admitted  but  what  are 
either  recommended  by  some  of  our  society,  or  are  de- 
pendants upon  it.  When  we  have  thus  far  gained  our 
point,  the  widow  must  be,  by  little  and  little,  excited  to 
the  performance  of  good  works,  especially  those  of  cha- 
rity, which,  however,  she  must  by  no  means  be  suffered 
to  do,  without  the  direction  of  her  ghostly  father,  since 
it  is  of  the  last  importance  to  her  soul  that  her  talent  be 
laid  out  with  a  prospect  of  obtaining  spiritual  interest ; 
and  since  charity,  ill  applied,  often  proves  the  cause  and 
incitement  to  sins,  which  efface  the  merit  and  reward  that 
might  otherwise  attend  it." 

The  seventh  chapter  teaches  "  hoio  such  widows  are  to 
be  secured,  and  in  what  manner  their  effects  are  to  be  dis* 
posed  of."  "  They  must  not  be  suffered  to  let  a  Aveek 
pass  in  which  they  do  not,  of  their  own  accord,  lay  some- 
what apart,   out  of  their  abundance,  for  the  honor  of 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  385 

Christ,  the  blessed  virgin,  or  their  patron  saint ;  and  let 
them  dispose  of  it  in  relief  of  the  poor,  or  in  beautifying 
of  churches,  till  they  are  entirely  stripped  of  their  super- 
fluous stores  and  unnecessary  riches.  If  they  have  made 
a  vow  of  chastity,  let  them,  according  to  our  custom,  re- 
new it  twice  a  year  ;  and  let  the  day  wherein  this  is  doiie 
be  set  apart  for  innocent  recreations  with  the  members  of 
our  society.  Let  them  be  frequently  visited  and  enter- 
tained, in  an  agreeable  manner,  with  spiritual  stories, 
and  also  diverted  with  pleasant  discourses,  according  to 
their  particular  humors  and*  inclinations.  They  must 
not  be  treated  with  too  much  severity  in  confession,  lest 
we  make  them  morose  and  ill-tempered,  unless  their  favor 
be  so  far  engaged  by  others  that  there  is  danger  of  not 
regaining  it ;  and  in  this  case  great  discretion  is  to  be 
used  in  forming  a  judgment  of  the  natural  inconstancy 
of  women. 

"  Let  women  that  are  young,  and  descended  from  rich 
and  noble  parents,  be  placed  with  those  widows,  that  they 
may  by  degrees  become  subject  to  our  directions,  and  ac- 
customed to  our  way  of  living.  That  the  widow  may 
dispose  of  what  she  has  in  favor  of  the  society,  set  as  a 
pattern  to  her  the  perfect  state  of  holy  men  who  have  re- 
nounced the  w^orld,  and  forsaken  their  parents  and  all 
they  had,  and  have,  vvrith  great  resignation  and  cheerful- 
ness of  mind,  devoted  themselves  to  the  service  of  God. 
Let  several  instances  of  widows  be  brought,  who  thus  in 
a  short  time  became  saints,  in  hopes  of  being  canonized 
if  they  continue  such  to  the  end.  And  let  them  be  ap- 
prised that  our  society  will  not  fail  to  use  their  interest 
with  the  court  of  Rome  for  the  obtaining  of  such  a  favor. 
If  a  widow  does  not  in  her  life  time  make  over  her  whole 
estate  to  the  society,  whenever  opportunity  offers,  but 
especially  when  she  is  seized  with  sickness  and  in  dan- 
ger of  death,  let  some  take  care  to  represent  to  her  the 
poverty  of  the  greater  number  of  our  colleges,  whereof 
many,  just  erected,  have  hardly  as  yet  any  foundation. 

33 


386  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

Engage  her  by  winning  behaviour  and  inducing  argu* 
ments  to  such  a  liberality  as  will  lay  a  certain  foundation 
for  her  eternal  happiness." 

The  eighth  chapter  relates  to  the  manner  in  which  the 
children  of  widows  are  to  be  treated,  that  they  may  em- 
brace a  religious  or  devoted  life. 

"  Let  the  mothers  be  instructed  to  use  their  children 
harshly,  even  from  their  cradles,  by  plying  them  with 
reproofs  and  frequent  chastisements.  And  when  their 
daughters  are  near  grown  up  to  discretion,  let  them  be 
especially  denied  the  common  dress  and  ornaments  of 
their  sex,  at  all  times  offering  up  prayers  to  God  that  he 
would  inspire  them  with  a  desire  of  entering  into  a  reli- 
gious order,  and  promising  them  with  very  plentiful  por- 
tions, on  condition  they  will  become  nuns.  Let  them 
lay  before  them  the  many  inconveniences  attending  every 
one  in  a  married  state,  and  those  in  particular  which  they 
themselves  have  found  by  woful  experience  ;  often  la- 
menting the  great  misfortune  of  their  younger  years,  in 
not  having  preferred  a  single  life.  And  lastly,  let  them 
persist  in  using  them  in  this  manner,  that  their  daughters 
may  think  of  a  religious  state,  being  tired  of  leading  such 
a  life  with  their  mothers. 

"  Let  our  members  converse  familiarly  with  their  sons, 
and  if  they  seem  fit  for  our  turn,  introduce  them  occa- 
sionally into  the  colleges,  and  let  every  thing  be  shown 
with  the  best  face,  to  invite  them  to  enter  themselves  into 
the  order  ;  as  the  gardens,  vineyards,  country  seats,  and 
villas,  where  those  of  our  society  pass  an  agreeable  life. 
Let  them  be  informed  of  our  travels  into  several  parts  of 
the  world,  of  our  familiarity  with  princes,  and  whatever 
else  may  be  agreeable  to  youth.  Let  them  see  the  out- 
ward neatness  of  our  refectories  and  chambers,  the  agree- 
able intercourse  we  have  one  with  another,  the  easiness 
of  our  rules,  which  yet  have  the  promise  of  the  glory  of 
God  ;  and  lastly,  the  pre-eminence  of  our  order  above 


HISTORY     OF    POPERV.  387 

all  others,  not  forgetting,  amidst  our  discourses  of  piety, 
to  entertain  them  also  with  pleasing,  diverting  stories."  . 

These  secret  rules  the  Jesuits  will  of  course  deny,  as 
it  is  previously  agreed  among  themselves  that  they  will 
do.  But  there  is  one  source  of  evidence  which  they  can 
neither  gainsay  nor  resist.  And  this  is  their  practice. 
They  have  long  practiced  according  to  the  rules  of  their 
order  as  given  above,  and  thus  given  most  conclusive 
evidence  that  these  rules  are  from  the  established  regu- 
lations of  their  order.  And  surely  Satan  has  here  trans- 
formed himself  into  an  angel  of  light-  It  is  not  uncom- 
mon to  find  men  that  will  deceive,  to  promote  their  own 
interests.  But  to  find  deception  and  imposition  reduced 
to  a  regular  system,  and  inculcated  as  a  trade,  is  very 
rare,  even  in  this  degenerate  world.  And  if  any  are  dis- 
posed to  be  the  dupes  of  this  villany,  they  must  act  for 
themselves,  but  let  them  do  it  with  their  eyes  open,  ^Let 
them  see  what  is  before  them,  and  duly  appreciate  the 
servitude  into  which  they  are  about  to  plunge. 

A  most  remarkable  example  of  the  pious  fraud  of  the 
Jesuits  occurred  in  Scotland,  after  the  reformation  had 
been  carried  a  considerable  length,  in  the  minority  of 
James  VI.  The  duke  of  Lenox,  having  acquired  a  great 
ascendency  over  the  mind  of  the  young  king,  came  near 
to  overturning  the  reformation.  The  people  becoming 
alarmed  by  the  arrival  of  several  Jesuits,  and  by  the 
open  revolt  of  some  from  the  protestant  faith,  the  duke  to 
effect  his  purpose,  Avas  obliged  to  have  recourse  to  Jesuis- 
tical  wisdom.  After  a  conference  with  some  of  the  mi- 
nisters, he  declared  himself  a  convert  to  the  protestant 
faith,  and  openly  renounced  the  religion  of  papists.  But 
letters  were  still  intercepted  which  served  to  increase  the 
public  alarm,  and  to  render  the  proceeding  of  the  duke 
suspicious  ;  and  especially  as  these  letters  contained  a 
dispensation  from  the  pope  to  the  papists,  "  to  jtrofess  the 
■protestant  tenets  for  a  tipie^  provided  they  preserved  an 


388  HISTORY  OF  POPERY. 

inward  attachment  to  the  ancient  faith,  and  embraced 
every  opportunity  of  advancing  it  in  secret^ 

Another  item  in  the  account  of  popish  superstition  is 
their  use  oi  excommunication.  As  they  use  it,  excom- 
munication is  a  kind  of  retribution  which  they  deal  out 
to  all  that  are  not  in  their  interests,  whether  man,  woman, 
beast,  or  reptile.  It  is  a  fulmination  of  wrath  against  all 
their  supposed  enemies,  an  assumed  vengeance,  as  if  they 
were  in  the  place  of  God,  and  were  intrusted  with  the 
power  of  final  decision. 

"  On  holy  Thursday  (as  it  is  called)  the  papists  annu- 
ally excommunicate  and  give  over  to  the  devil  all  pro- 
testants  throughout  the  world,  who  at  Rome,  and  among 
papists  are  known  by  the  name  of  heretics.  The  pope  is 
then  clothed  in  red,  and  stands  upon  a  high  throne,  the 
better  to  be  seen  by  the  people.  The  sub-deacons,  who 
stand  at  the  left  hand  of  his  holiness,  read  the  bull,  and 
in  the  mean  time  the  candles  are  lighted,  and  each  of 
them  takes  one  in  his  hand.  When  the  excommunica- 
tion is  pronounced,  the  pope  and  the  cardinals  put  out 
their  -candles  and  throw  them  among  the  crowd,  after 
which  the  black  cloth  that  covered  the  pulpit  is  taken 
away.  But  the  church  of  Rome  does  not  confine  her 
excommunications  or  censures  entirely  to  men  and  wo- 
men, for  even  animals  and  reptiles  must  be  subject  in 
their  turn.  When  it  happens  that  much  of  the  fruits  of 
the  earth  are  damaged  by  rats,  mice,  locusts,  or  catterpil- 
lars,  then  the  church  censures  become  necessary.  The 
priest  is  obliged  to  transmit  to  the  bishop  an  account  of 
the  damage  done  by  these  creatures,  and  then  the  bishop 
orders  the  priest  to  ascend  to  an  eminence  in  his  parish, 
where  he  is  to  put  on  his  surplice,  and  sprinkle  himself 
and  his  clerks  with  holy  water  in  form  of  a  cross.  He 
then  commands  the  rats,  mice,  &c.,  to  depart  from  the 
place  immediately,  otherwise,  they  are  to  be  "  excommu- 
nicated and  accursed,"  and  have  the  lot  of  poor  heretics. 
In  the  year  1738,  Provence,  in  France,  was  much  in- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  389 

fested  with  locusts.  Application  was  made  to  the  pope, 
who  sent  his  bull  to  the  bishop,  ordering  them  all  to  be 
excommunicated.  The  bishop  obeyed  the  order,  but  the 
locusts  refused  to  comply,  which  gave  no  small  uneasi- 
ness to  the  farmers  ;  it  surprized  them  much  to  find  that 
the  locusts  refused  to  comply  with  the  apostolical  order, 
but  one  more  sagacious  than  the  rest,  observes  that  the 
bishop  was  a  Jansenist.  An  account  of  this  was  sent  to 
the  pope,  who,  from  the  whole  of  his  conduct,  seems  not 
lo  have  been  a  fool,  for  he  sent  an  injunction  to  the  bishop, 
who  was  orthodox  in  the  faith,  (a  Jesuit  probably,)  to  let 
the  locusts  alone  till  the  beginning  of  November,  and 
then  to  go  out  with  his  priests  and  excommunicate 
them.  Here  the  pope  acted  a  very  wise  part,  for  locusts 
seldom  survive  the  first  week  in  November,  whereas 
had  he  excommunicated  them  sooner,  the  ceremony 
would  not  have  had  its  proper  effect.  This  however  was 
considered  as  a  miracle,  because  it  served  to  point  out  • 
that  the  Jansenists  are  not  to  expect  the  divine  blessing 
upon  their  works ;  whereas  all  those  who  are  orthodox, 
are  certain  God  will  hear  them  w^henever  they  call  upon 
him,  and  that  he  will  in  a  most  signal  manner  grant  their 
requests." 

Another  particular  of  popish  superstition  is,  the   APr 

PLICATION  OF  BAPTISM     TO  THE  BELLS  USED   IN   THEIR 

CHURCHES.     The  following  is  an  account  of  this  cere- 
mony from  a  gentleman  who  was  an  eye  witness,     g 

"  It  was  my  fortune  last  year  to  visit  Canada,  where  I 
had  an  opportunity  to  witness  some  of  the  delusions  of  po- 
pery. While  in  Montreal,  in  the  month  of  November, 
last  year,  I  learned  that  two  new  bells  were  about  to  be 
placed  in  the  steeple  of  the  principal  church,  and  that 
previous  to  their  being  suspended,  it  was  necessary  that 
they  should  be  baptized.  The  baptism  of  a  bell,  a  piece 
of  inanimate  matter,  was  to  me  a  novelty.  I  had  often 
seen  the  ordinance  administered  both  by  those  who  be- 
lieve in  infant  baptism,  and  by  those  who  do  not,  but  such 

33* 


390  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

a  profanation  of  that  sacred  rite  being  no  longer  heard 
of  in  my  native  country,  I  never  expected  to  have  had 
an  opportunity  of  witnessing  it.  '  Surely,'  thought  I, 
'  these  priests  are  either  themselves  most  pitiable  dupes 
of  the  deceiver,  or  they  are  most  barefaced  impostors. 
Common  sense  seems  by  them  to  be  laughed  at ;  and 
they  appear  to  put  their  ingenuity  to  the  stretch  to  discover 
the  way  of  most  effectually  insulting  the  understandings 
of  the  ignorant  Canadians,  and  of  most  openly  degrading 
and  ridiculing  the  institutions  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ.' 
As  it  happened  to  be  on  a  week  day,  I  resolved  to  be  a 
spectator.  Had  it  been  on  the  Lord's  day,  I  should  not 
have  felt  myself  justifiable  in  so  appropriating  holy  time. 
About  two  o'clock,  the  principal  bell,  (  for  there  are  se- 
veral in  the  steeple,)  began  to  ring,  and  I  repaired  to  the 
church.  The  people  were  assembling  in  considerable 
numbers,  and  from  the  eagerness  with  which  they  scram- 
bled over  the  pews  to  get  into  a  good  situation  for  see- 
ing, I  suspect  the  greater  number  present  even  of  the 
papists  were  more  influenced  by  curiosity  than  devotion ; 
one  proof  among  many  that  the  popish  religion  consists 
chiefly  of  ceremonial  mummery,  incapable  of  instructing 
the  understanding  or  touching  the  heart,  and  is  not  inten- 
ded to  regulate  the  affections,  or  influence  the  conduct 
of  those  who  profess  it.  The  two  bells  were  suspended 
from  a  temporary  erection  of  wood  in  the  centre  of  the 
church,  in  the  vacant  space  round  them,  a  table  and 
chairs  were  placed  for  the  principal  performers.  The 
candles  on  the  altar  at  the  upper  end  of  the  church  were 
lighted  to  be  in  readiness  for  the  exhibition,  and  in  a 
short  time  a  door  on  the  left  of  the  altar  opened,  and 
forth  came  the  procession.  At  the  head  of  it  were  two 
boys  dressed  in  white  carrying  two  immense  candles, 
each  of  which,  with  the  candlestick  might  probably 
measure  seven  or  eight  feet.  After  them  came  the 
priests,  some  in  gorgeous  silken  robes,  some  in  white, 
others    in  black,    some  flaring    in  bright  colors  and 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  391 

gold ;  other  boys  also  in  white  followed,  one  of  whom 
bore  a  silver  vase  with  water,  and  another  a  small  vessel 
of  oil.  Some  of  the  priests  in  black  took  their  seats  near 
the  altar,  the  rest  came  forward  to  the  bells.  The  large 
candles  were  placed  on  the  table,  and  beside  them  the 
vase  and  vessel  of  oil.  One  of  the  priests,  an  old  man 
dressed  in  white,  then  got  up  into  the  pulpit  at  the  side 
of  the  church  to  address  the  people.  But  he  seemed  not 
a  little  offended  with  the  want  of  decorum  that  appeared 
in  the  assembly,  for  there  was  a  good  deal  of  pushing  and 
squeezing,  and  most  were  standing  on  the  seats,  that  they 
might  see  over  the  heads  of  those  before  them.  He  told 
them  in  a  pretty  long  harangue,  in  the  French  language, 
that  this  was  a  religious  ceremony,  and  must  be  attended 
to  with  solemnity  and  decorum.  He  talked  to  them  of 
the  pious  feelings  which  ought  to  be  produced  in  their 
minds  by  seeing  bells  baptized,  and  the  veneration  and 
awe  which  it  was  to  be  expected  they  would  feel.  The 
people,  however,  were  far  from  being  so  profoundly 
devout  as  he  wished  them,  and  a  little  noise  still  inter- 
rupting his  reverence,  he  clapped  his  hands,  and  very 
angrily  told  them,  if  they  did  not  behave  better  he  would 
turn  them  all  out.  Descending  from  the  pulpit,  he  put 
on  a  robe  of  various  bright  colors,  and  proceeded  to  the 
ceremonial.  After  chanting  a  hymn,  he  read  Latin 
prayers  over  the  water  in  the  basin,  and  thus  I  suppose 
consecrated  it.  Another  of  the  priests  then  carried  the 
water  to  the  bells,  and  the  first  dipped  a  pretty  large  brush 
in  the  water,  and  with  it  made  the  form  of  a  cross  upon 
the  bell,  pronouncing  words  which  I  could  not  hear,  but 
which  could  be  nothing  else  than  the  solemn  form  used 
on  such  occasions,  '  In  nomine  Patris,  et  Filii,  et  Spiri- 
tus  SanctV  That  is  to  say,  '  In  the.  name  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit.''  A  third  priest, 
with  another  brush,  completed  his  work,  making  cross 
after  cross,  and  then  carefully  brushing  the  interme- 
diate spaces  till  the  bell  was  wetted  all  over.     The  se- 


392  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

cond  bell  was  crossed  and  re-crossed  in  the  same  manner, 
and  immediately  large  clean  towels  were  produced,  and 
the  bells  were  carefully  wiped  dry.  Returning  to  the 
table,  singing  and  reading  of  prayers  succeeded,  and  the 
oil  was  next  blessed  and  made  holy  ;  the  principal  priest 
then  dipped  his  finger  in  the  oil  and  made  the  sign  of  the 
cross  in  one  place  on  each  bell,  carefully  wiping  the  place 
with  cotton  wool ;  he  then  repeated  it  on  a  great  many 
places  on  the  bells,  both  inside  and  outside,  carefully 
wiping  them  as  before  with  cotton.  During  the  singing 
which  followed,  one  of  the  boys  went  out  and  brought  in 
a  silver  censer  with  red  coals  in  it.  A  small  box  of  in- 
cense stood  on  the  table,  out  of  which  the  priest  took  a 
spoonful  and  threw  it  on  the  coals,  reading  prayers  over 
it  as  before ;  the  incense  smoked  up  and  perfumed  the 
air  ;  then,  after  waving  the  censor  with  great  solemnity 
three  times,  he  carried  it  first  to  one  bell  and  then  to  the 
other,  holding  it  under  them  till  they  were  filled  with  the 
smoke. 

"  An  important  part  of  the  ceremony  yet  remained. 
The  bells  had  to  get  their  names,  for  without  that  step 
they  could  not  be  Christian  bells  ;  and  as  the  baptismal 
vows  could  not  be  taken  by  themselves,  the  holy  infallible 
church  thought  it  necessary  that  sponsers  should  do  it 
for  them.  Accordingly,  a  godfather  and  godmother  to  each 
bell  were  in  waiting — two  reverend  old  couples,  who  were 
sitting  with  the  priests  beside  the  tables  ;  these  were  now 
brought  forward  and  stationed,  the  one  gentleman  and 
lady  at  the  one  bell,  and  the  other  couple  at  the  other. 
The  principal  priest  then  put  some  questions  to  the  first 
old  gentleman  and  lady,  which  they  answered,  but  I  was 
not  near  enough  to  hear  what  they  vowed  on  behalf  of 
the  bell.  The  bell  then  received  its  name,  and  the  priest 
taking  the  clapper,  gave  three  strokes  against  the  side  ; 
the  old  godfather  then  took  hold  and  did  the  same ;  and 
last  of  all,  the  old  lady,  the  godmother.  The  priest, 
leaving  them,  went  through  the  same  ceremony  with  the 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  393 

couple  at  the  other  bell,  and  thus  the  two  bells  were  bap- 
tized, got  their  names,  and  were  made  to  speak.  The 
name  of  the  one,  as  I  afterwards  learned,  was  Pierre 
Marguerite,  with  some  addition  which  has  escaped  me. 
I  do  not  know  that  I  heard  the  name  of  the  other.  All 
was  not  yet  over.  The  godfathers  and  godmothers,  t-o 
crown  the  whole,  produced  their  presents  to  their  adopted 
children,  and  certainly  nothing  could  be  tnore  suitable 
than  clothes  to  the  orphans ;  a  large  piece  of  linen  was 
given  to  one  of  the  priests,  who,  with  much  solemnity, 
wound  it  several  times  round  the  bell ;  next,  a  large  piece 
of  crimson  silk,  which  was  put  over  the  linen  ;  and  last 
of  all,  fringes  and  white  silk  ribbons,  which  served  to  tie 
all  on.  The  other  couple  w^ere  not  to  be  outdone  in  ge- 
nerosity, and  their  linen,  silk,  and  ribbons,  were  also  pro- 
duced, and  the  second  bell  duly  and  decorously  clothed. 
It  was  even  somewhat  gayer  than  its  neighbor,  for  the 
silk  bestowed  upon  it  was  very  richly  figured.  Thus 
ended  the  sacrilegious  rite  of  baptizing  church  bells. 
The  boys  elevated  the  large  candles,  and  the  procession 
of  priests  departed  as  it  had  entered. 

"  In  a  day  or  two  after,  the  bells  were  suspended  in  the 
steeple,  fully  qualified  to  ring  souls  out  of  purgatory,  and 
perform  all  the  other  important  duties  of  popish  bells. 
Let  not  your  readers  start  at  the  idea  of  bells  effecting  the 
release  of  the  souls  of  the  departed  from  the  fangs  of  the 
tormentor.  I  believe,  indeed,  that  this  is  far  beyond  the 
ability  of  our  heretical  presbyterian  bells,  but  nothing  is 
too  hard  for  a  bell  that  has  received  papistical  baptism. 
While  I  remained  at  Montreal,  all-sainfJ  day  came  round, 
which  is  one  in  which  the  bells  have  their  hands  full  of 
work.  Prayers  are  then  offered  up  for  the  souls  of  all 
departed  saints,  high  mass  is  performed  for  their  benefit, 
and  the  bells  are  rung  long  and  loud  to  efTect  their  re- 
lease. Passing  the  door  of  the  church  in  the  evening,  I 
stepped  in  to  see  what  was  going  forward.  The  services 
of  the  day  were  over,  and  there  was  no  light  in  the 


394  HISTORY  OF  POPERY. 

church,  except  from  the  glimmering  of  a  small  oil  lamp, 
which  is  kept  continually  burning  before  the  altar.  In 
different  places  were  several  of  the  poor  ignorant  Cana- 
dians on  their  knees,  praying  for  the  souls  of  their  dead 
relations,  crossing  themselves  with  great  fervor  ;  taking 
care,  as  they  went  out  and  came  in,  not  to  omit  a  daubing 
with  holy  water.  In  the  middle  passage  a  platform  was 
erected,  painted  black,  adorned  with  skulls  and  crossed 
bones,  and  on  the  top  of  it  lay  a  coffin.  This  was  em- 
blematical of  the  dead  for  whom  they  were  praying,  and 
was  intended  to  increase  the  fervor  and  efficacy  of  their 
prayers.  The  bells  were  kept  ringing  almost  the  whole 
day,  for  according  to  the  time  they  were  rung,  and  the 
number  of  masses  and  prayers  that  were  said,  a  propor- 
tionate number  of  the  dead  were  to  be  released  from  pur- 
gatory. That  afternoon  the  bells  were  allowed  to  be 
rung  by  all  who  chose,  and  the  poor  creatures  pulled 
away  without  intermission,  vainly  believing  that  the 
harder  and  the  longer  they  rang,  the  sooner  they  would 
get  their  friends  emancipated  from  Satan's  house  of  cor- 
rection. Next  day,  and  for  several  days  after,  I  saw  a 
painted  board  suspended  on  a  church  door,  inscribed, 
'  Indulgence  pleniere  pour  les  mortes,^  i.  e.  '  Plenary 
indulgence  for  the  dead;''  and  I  was  informed  that  who- 
ever, during  these  days,  confessed  to  a  priest,  sJiould  have 
forty  days  remission,  after  his  death,  of  the  pains  of  pur- 
gatory. These  are  some  of  the  doctrines  of  devils  which 
are  taught  by  the  (self-styled)  holy  Roman  Catholic 
church.  And  this  is  a  faithful  account  of  some  of  the 
rites  and  ceremonies  of  which  I  was  an  eye  and  an  ear 
witness." 

An  English  traveller  wrote  the  following  letter  con- 
cerning the  same  ceremony  at  Naples  in  1780: — "A 
noble  lord  was  godfather  to  the  bell,  and  a  lady  of  qua- 
lity was  godmother.  Most  of  the  prayers  said  on  the 
occasion  ended  with  the  following  words,  '  That  thou 
wouldst  be  pleased  to  rinse,  purify,  sanctify,  and  conse-* 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  395 

crate  these  bells  with  thy  heavenly  benediction.'  The 
following  were  the  Avords  of  consecration ; — '  Let  the 
sign  be  consecrated  and  sanctified  in  the  name  of  the  Fa- 
ther, and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.'  The 
bishop  then  turning  to  the  people,  said,  '  The  bell's  name 
is  Mary.'  He  had  previously  demanded  of  the  godfather 
and  godmother  what  name  they  would  have  put  upon  the 
bell,  and  the  lady  gave  it  this  name." 

Another  particular  in  the  list  of  popish  superstitions  is 
the  use  of  Incense  and  Holy  Water. 

"  The  very  first  thing"  says  Middleton,  "  that  a  stran- 
ger must  necessarily  take  notice  of,  as  soon  as  he  enters 
their  churches,  is  the  use  of  incense  or  perfumes  in  their 
religious  offices.  The  first  step  which  he  takes  within  the 
door  will  be  sure  to  make  him  sensible  of  it,  by  the  of- 
fence which  he  will  immediately  receive  from  the  smell,  as 
well  as  smoke  of  this  incense,  with  which  the  whole  church 
continues  filled  for  some  time  after  every  solemn  service, 
A  custom  received  directly  from  paganism,  and  which 
presently  called  to  my  mind  the  old  descriptions  of  the 
heathen  temples  and  altars,  which  are  seldom  if  ever 
mentioned  by  the  ancients  without  the  epithet  perfumed 
or  incensed.  In  some  of  their  principal  churches,  where 
you  have  before  you  in  one  view  a  great  number  of  al- 
tars, and  all  of  them  smoking  at  once  with  clouds  of  in- 
cense, how  natural  is  it  to  suppose  one's  self  transported 
into  the  temple  of  some  heathen  deity,  or  that  of  the  Pa- 
phian  Venus,  described  by  Virgil.  In  the  old  basreliefs, 
or  pieces  of  sculpture  where  any  heathen  sacrifice  is  rep- 
resented, we  never  fail  to  observe  a  boy  in  a  sacred  habit, 
which  was  always  white,  attending  on  the  priest,  with  a 
little  chest  or  box  in  his  hands,  in  which  this  incense  is 
kept  for  the  use  of  the  altar.  And  in  the  same  manner 
still,  in  the  popish  church,  there  is  always  a  boy  in  sur- 
plice, waiting  on  the  priest  at  the  altar,  with  the  sacred 
utensils,  and  among  the  rest  a  thuribulum,  or  vessel  of 
incense,  which  the  priest,  with  many  ridiculous  motions 


396  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

and  crossings,  waves  several  times,  as  it  is  smoking, 
around  and  over  the  altar,  in  different  parts  of  the  ser- 
vice." 

"  The  next  thing,"  says  the  same  author,  "  that  will  of 
course  strike  one's  imagination,  is  their  use  of  holy  water. 
For  nobody  goes  in  or  out  of  a  church,  but  is  either 
sprinkled  by  the  priest,  who  attends  for  that  purpose,  on 
solemn  days,  or  else  serves  himself  with  it  from  a  ves- 
sel, usually  of  marble,  placed  just  at  the  door,  not  unlike 
one  of  our  baptismal  fonts.  Now  this  ceremony  is  so 
notoriously  and  directly  transmitted  to  them  from  pagan- 
ism, that  their  own  writers  make  not  the  least  scruple  to 
own  it.  The  Jesuit  La  Cerda,  in  his  notes  on  a  passage 
of  Virgil,  where  this  practice  is  mentioned,  says,  "  hence 
is  derived  the  custom  of  holy  church,  to  provide  purify- 
ing or  holy  water  at  the  entrance  of  their  churches." 

"  Aquaminarium^  or  Amula,"  says  the  learned  Mont 
Faucon,  "  was  a  vase  of  holy  water  placed  by  the  hea- 
then at  the  entrance  of  their  temples,  to  sprinkle  them- 
selves with.  The  same  vessel  was  by  the  Greeks  called 
Perrir  ranterion,  two  of  which,  the  one  of  gold,  the  other 
of  silver,  were  given  by  Croessus  to  the  temple  of  Apol- 
lo, at  Delphi.  And  the  custom  of  sprinkling  themselves 
was  so  necessary  a  part  of  their  religious  services,  that 
the  method  of  excommunication  seems  to  have  been,  by 
prohibiting  the  offenders  the  approach  and  use  of  the 
holy  water  pot.  The  very  composition  of  this  holy  wa- 
ter was  the  same  among  the  heathen  that  it  now  is  among 
the  papists,  being  nothing  more  than  a  mixture  of  salt 
with  common  water.  And  the.  form  of  the  sprinkling 
brush  is  the  same  with  that  the  priests  now  make  use  of." 

"  I  do  not  at  present  recollect  whether  the  ancients 
went  so  far,  as  to  apply  the  use  of  the  holy  water  to  the 
purifying  or  blessing  of  their  horses,  asses,  and  other 
cattle,  or  whether  this  be  an  improvement  of  modern 
Rome,  which  has  dedicated  a  yearly  festival  particularly 
to  this  service,  called,  in  their  vulgar  language,  the  bene- 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  397 

diction  of  horses,  which  is  always  celebrated  with  much 
solemnity  in  the  month  of  January,  when  all  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  city  and  neighborhood  send  up  their  horses, 
asses,  &c.  to  the  convent  of  St.  Anthony,  near  St.  Mary's 
the  great,  where  a  priest  in  surplice,  at  the  church  door 
sprinkles  with  a  brush,  all  the  animals  singly,  as  they 
are  presented  to  him,  and  receives  from  each  owner,  a 
gratuity  proportionable  to  his  zeal  and  ability.  Among 
the  rest,  I  had  my  own  horses  blessed  at  the  expense  of 
about  eighteen  pence  our  money,  as  well  to  satisfy  my 
own  curiosity,  as  to  humour  the  coachman  ;  who  was 
persuaded,  as  the  common  people  generally  are,  that 
some  mischance  would  befal  them  within  the  year,  if 
they  wanted  the  benefit  of  this  benediction.  Allowing 
the  popish  priests  to  have  taken  the  hint  from  some  old 
custom  of  paganism,  yet  this  however  must  be  granted 
them,  that  they  alone  were  capable  of  cultivating  so  coarse 
and  barren  a  piece  of  superstition  into  a  revenue  sufficient 
for  the  maintenance  of  forty  or  fifty  idle  monks." 

The  next  and  the  last  item  in  the  account  of  popish 
superstition,  which  will  be  brought  to  view,  is  the  claim 
of  Infallibility. 

The  claim  of  infallibility  by  finite  and  erring  creatures 
is  the  height  of  arrogance,  and  stands  opposed  to  the 
whole  history  of  human  conduct.  Indeed,  so  manifold 
are  the  evidences  of  ignorance,  prejudice,  and  liability  to 
error  in  the  greatest  and  best  of  mere  men— so  nume- 
rous and  unquestionable  are  the  facts  which  illustrate 
the  frailty  of  the  human  character,  that  the  claim  to  in- 
fallibility seems  to  be  little  else  than  a  farce.  It  is  deli- 
berate trifling,  a  burlesque  on  man.  The  ascription  of 
infallibility,  to  any  man  or  any  collection  of  men  is  pre- 
sumption, and  the  belief  of  the  existence  of  such  infalli- 
bility is  the  grossest  superstition.  These  views  and  con- 
clusions lie  on  the  very  face  of  the  subject,  and  need  no 
evidence  or  argument  for  their  support.  The  claim,  the 
admission,  the  ascription  are  all  self-evident  folly ;  as 

34 


398  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

much  as  to  say  that  a  creature  is  omniscient,  ur  omni*. 
potent.  But  this  claim  has  heen  put  forth  hy  popery  in 
the  most  decisive  manner,  and  it  has  been  admitted,  and 
is  now  believed  in  by  papists.  They  all  admit  and  claim  • 
that  such  infallibility  has  its  seat  somewhere  in  their 
church.  They  are  not  agreed,  it  is  true,  what  is  the  pre- 
cise location  of  this  prerogative.  Some  contend  that  it 
resides  in  the  popes,  some,  in  general  councils,  and  others 
that  it  is  found  in  pope  and  general  council  united.  But 
sure  they  are,  there  is  infallibility  somewhere  within  their 
precincts.  And  there  is  an  advantage  in  not  determining 
precisely  its  locality.  For  if  its  residence  were  distinct- 
ly pointed  out,  it  would  afford  the  wicked  heretics  an  op- 
portunity to  show  it  is  not  there,  and  thus  the  faithful 
would  be  staggered.  But  by  shifting  the  ground  all  evi- 
dence may  be  evaded.  If,  for  example,  the  errors  of  the 
popes  be  made  to  appear  beyond  dispute,  then  the  pliant 
papist  has  nothing  to  do  but  to  say,  infallibility  is  not  here, 
but  in  councils.  Bring  up  the  errors  of  councils,  and 
then  infallibility  has  another  refuge.  This  is  the  course 
when  infallibility  is  assailed  or  required  to  give  an  ac- 
count of  itself.  But  when  it  is  wanted  for  the  purposes 
of  popery,  it  is  then  forth  coming  on  all  hands.  Popes, 
church,  councils,  and  tradition,  all  are  right,  past  the  pos- 
sibility or  suspicion  of  error.  If  any  one  attacks  this 
imposing  prerogative,  he  finds  himself  at  once  in  the 
situation  of  the  Trojan  hero,  who  drew  his  sword  in 
bloodless  contest  with  ghosts  and  shades.  The  piercing 
steel  left  no  permanent  wound  but  was  no  sooner  with- 
drawn than  all  was  healed.  Such  is  the  infallibility  of 
popery,  though  it  frown  horribly  on  opposition,  threaten- 
ing to  crush  arguments,  testimony,  and  facts,  at  a  single 
blow,  yet  no  sooner  is  a  pass  made  at  it  in  good  earnest, 
than  it  vanishes  into  thin  air,  and  cannot  be  found. 

But  infallibility  is  the  claim  of  popery,  and  the  belief 
of  its  adherents. 

The  popish  catechism  says,  "  the  church  cannot  err  in 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  399 

faith  or  morals."  And  all  that  the  disciple  of  popery 
need  to  say  or  know  in  regard  to  faith  is  expressed  as  fol- 
lows. "  I  believe  in  all  things  according  as  the  holy 
catholic  church  believes."  He  must  swear  obedience  to 
the  pope,  the  successor  of  St.  Peter,  the  prince  of  apostles 
and  vicar  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  professes,  and  undoubtedly 
receives  all  things  delivered,  defined  and  declared  by  the 
sacred  canons  and  general  councils,  and  particularly  by 
the  holy  council  of  Trent,  and  condemns,  rejects  and  ana- 
thematizes all  things  contrary  thereto,  and  all  heresies 
whatsoever  condemned  and  anathematized  by  the  church." 

This  doctrine  virtually  includes  the  infallibility  of  the 
pope,  and  is  so  understood  for  all  practical  purposes, 
since,  according  to  the  council  of  Florence,  the  pope  is 
the  head  of  th«  whole  church,  and  the  father  and  teacher 
of  all  Christians ;  and  to  him,  in  St.  Peter,  was  delega- 
ted by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  full  power  to  feed,  rule  and 
govern  the  universal  church.  It  is  also  implied  that  ge- 
neral councils,  representing  the  universal  church,  are 
also  infallible.  There  are  however  some  difficulties  at- 
tending this  subject  from  the  unquestionable  facts  that 
councils  and  popes  have  opposed  and  condemned  each 
other,  as  has  been  stated  in  the  preceding  historical 
sketch. 

It  is  proposed  now  to  give  the  testimony  of  some  popish 
writers  concerning  this  article  of  papal  superstition. — "  It 
is  maintained  in  the  decretals  that  the  pope  can  be  judged 
by  none;  that  his  judgment,  whether  respecting  faith, 
manners,  or  discipline,  ought  to  be  preferred  to  all  things ; 
(not  even  excepting  the  bible  it  seems,)  that  nothing  is 
true  except  what  he  approves,  and  every  thing  which  he 
condemns  is  false."  "  We  believe  nothing,"  says  Lewis 
Copsensis,  ''unless  we  believe  w^ith a  divine  faith,  that  the 
pope  is  the  successor  of  St.  Peter,  and  infallible."  Says 
Baronius,  "  It  depends  upon  the  pope  to  ratify  decrees, 
and  to  alter  them  when  ratified."  Says  Bellarmine,  "the 
pope  is  absolutely  above- the  catholic  church,  and  above 


400 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 


a  general  council ;  so  that  he  has  no  judge  above  him  on 
earth."  The  same  author  also  teaches,  "that  the  pope 
when  he  instructs  the  whole  church  in  things  concerning 
faith,  cannot  possibly  err  ;  and  whether  he  be  heretic 
himself,  or  not,  he  can  by  no  means  define  any  thing 
heretical  to  be  believed  by  the  whole  church,"  Another 
writer  on  this  subject  says.  '*  The  very  doubt  whether  a 
council  be  greater  than  the  pope  seems  to  be  absurd,  be- 
cause it  would  involve  a  contradiction,  namely,  that  the 
supreme  pontiff  is  not  supreme."  "  He  cannot  err,  he 
cannot  be  deceived,"  says  another,  "  it  must  be  conceived 
concerning  him,  that  he  knows  all  things."  "  O  Rome," 
exclaims  Cornelius  Mussus,  bishop  of  Bitonto,  "  to 
whom  shall  we  go  for  divine  counsels,  unless  to  those  per- 
sons, to  whose  trust  the  dispensation  of  divine  mysteries 
has  been  committed  ?  we  are  therefore  to  hear  him,  who 
is  to  us  instead  of  God,  in  all  things  that  concern  God,  as 
God  himself.  For  my  part,  Iconfess,  in  things  that  belong 
to  the  mysteries  of  faith,  I  had  rather  believe  one  pope, 
than  a  thousand  Augustines,  or  Jeromes  ;  not  to  speak 
of  Richards,  Scotuses,  and  Williamses  ;  for  I  believe  and 
k7iow  that  the  pope  cannot  err  in  matters  of  faith,  because 
the  authority  and  right  of  determining  whatever  relates 
to  faith  resides  in  the  pope."  The  assembly  of  cardinals, 
prelates,  and  clergy  of  France,  1625,  declare,  "that  his 
holiness  is  above  the  reach  of  calumny,  and  his  faith  out 
of  the  reach  of  error."  In  the  thesis  of  the  Jesuits  in  the 
college  of  Ciaremont,  it  was  maintained,  "  that  Christ 
hath  so  committed  the  government  of  his  church  to  the 
popes,  that  he  hath  conferred  on  them  the  same  infalli- 
bility which  he  had  himself,  as  often  as  they  speak  ex  ca- 
thedra ;  and  therefore  there  is  in  the  church  of  Rome  an 
infallible  judge  of  controversies  of  faith,  even  without  a 
general  council,  whether  in  matters  of  right  or  fact.," 
"  Three  or  four  councils  have  ascribed  infallibility  to  the 
pope,  particularly  that  of  Florence,  under  pope  Eugene, 
in  opposition  to  the  council  of  Basil.     The  last  council 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  401 

of  Lateran,  and  that  of  Trent,  may  also  be  considered  as 
acknowledging  this  superstition.  At  the  time  of  the  lat- 
ter council,  however,  the  pope  declared  that  he  would 
rather  shed  his  blood  than  part  with  his  rights,  which  had 
been  established  upon  the  doctrine  of  the  church,  and  the 
blood  of  martyrs  ;  and  the  legates  were  charged  not  to 
allow  the  council  to  make  any  decision  on  the  subject  of 
infallibility,  and  they  accordingly  avowed  that  they 
would  rather  lose  their  lives,  than  to  allow  a  thing  so 
certain  to  be  called  in  question.  The  bishop  of  Grenada 
maintained  before  the  council,  that  the  pope  was  God 
on  earth,  and  therefore  not  subject  to  a  council." 

Ravaillac,  the  assassin  of  Henry  IV  of  France  was  a 
papist  of  the  genuine  stamp.  He  believed  it  lawful  for 
any  man  to  kill  the  king,  because  he  was  too  favorable 
to  the  heretics,  and  because  he  had  been  told  that  the 
king  designed  to  make  war  on  the  pope.  And  said  he 
to  his  judges,  "  to  make  war  against  the  pope  is  to  make 
war  against  God  ;  seeing  the  pope  is  God,  and  God  is 
the  pope."  And,  Bellarmine,  who  is  of  high  authority 
among  papists,  adds  ;  "  It  may  be  affirmed  in  good  sense, 
that  Christ  gave  to  Peter  power  of  making  sin  to  be  no 
sin,  and  that  which  is  no  sin  to  be  sin.  If  the  pope 
should  command  vice  and  prohibit  virtue,  the  church 
would  be  bound  to  believe  vice  to  be  good  and  virtue  to 
be  evil,  unless  she  should  sin  against  conscience."  The 
popish  canons  teach  "  that  the  pope  hath  a  heavenly  pow- 
er, and  therefore  changes  the  nature  of  things,  applying 
the  essential  attributes  of  one  to  the  other  ;  that  he  can 
make  something  of  nothing,  and  that  in  those  things  he 
wills,  his  will  is  instead  of  reason,  nor  is  their  any  one 
that  can  say  to  him,  '  what  doest  thou  ?'  for  he  can  dis- 
pense with  law ;  he  can  make  justice  unjustice,  by 
changing  and  correcting  laws ;  and  in  a  word  that  he 
hath  a  plenitude  of  power."  Thus  the  pope  actually  ex- 
alts himself  above  all  that  is  called  God.  It  is  quite 
usual  for  papists  to  address  the  pope  as  a  God,  andin- 

34* 


402  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

Stead  of  finding  fault  with  any  of  them  for  this  impiety,, 
he  receives  their  homage  as  the  sweetest  incense.  An- 
gelas Politianus  thus  addresses  Alexander  VI.  "  We 
rejoice  to  see  you  raised  above  all  human  things,  and  ex- 
alted even  to  divinity  itself,  seeing  there  is  nothing  ex- 
cept God,  which  is  not  put  under  you."  Clement  VII, 
with  his  cardinals  of  Avignon,  writing  to  king  Charles 
VI,  says,  "  As  there  is  but  one  God,  in  the  heavens,  so 
there  cannot  nor  ought  to  be  of  right,  but  one  God  on 
earth."  "It  is  evident,"  says  the  canon  law,  "  that  the 
pope,  who  w^as  called  God  by  Constantino,  can  neither 
be  bound  nor  loosed  by  any  secular  power,  for  it  is  mani- 
fest that  God  cannot  be  judged  by  men."  A  little  before 
the  time  of  Luther,  the  question  was  agitated  in  the 
schools  of  popery,  whether  the  pope  did  not  participate 
in  both  natures,  the  human  and  divine,  with  Jesus 
Christ.  Among  the  arguments  by  which  this  divine 
prerogative  of  the  pope  is  attempted  to  be  supported,  the 
following  may  serve  as  a  specimen,  it  is  founded  on  the 
passage  of  scripture,  Luke,  22.  31,  32.  "  And  the  Lord 
said, '  Simon,  Simon,  behold  Satan  hath  desired  to  have 
you  that  he  may  sift  you  as  wheat ;  but  I  have  prayed 
for  thee  that  thy  faith  fail  not,  and  when  thou  art  con- 
verted strengthen  thy  brethren.'  "  It  would  nearly  puz- 
zle a  Jesuit  to  find  popish  infallibility  in  this  passage. 
But  let  us  hear  the  exposition  which  papists  give  to  this 
passage.  "  Lastly  to  put  them  (the  disciples)  out  of  all 
doubt,  he  calleth  Peter  twice  by  name,  and  telling  him 
the  devil's  desire  to  sift  and  try  them  all  to  the  uttermost, 
as  he  did  that  night,  he  saith  that  he  had  especially  pray- 
ed for  him,  to  this  end  that  his  faith  should  never  fail, 
and  that  he,  being  once  converted,  should  after  that  for 
ever  confirm,  establish,  or  uphold  the  rest  in  their  faith. 
Which  is  to  say  that  Peter  is  the  man,  whom  he  would 
make  superior  over  them  and  the  whole  church.  Where- 
by we  may  learn,  that  it  was  thought  fit  in  the  providence 
of  God,  that   he  who  should  be  the  head  of  the  church 


HISTORY  OF  POPERY.  403 

should  have  a  special  privilege  by  Christ's  prayer  and 
promise,  never  to  fail  in  faith,  and  that  none  other,  apos- 
tle, bishop,  or  priest  may  challenge  any  such  singular  or 
special  prerogative,  either  of  his  office  or  person,  other- 
wise than  by  joining  with  Peter,  and  by  holding  of  him." 
So  much  of  the  argument  as  it  respects  Peter.     But  the 
papists  consider  that  whatever  is  proved  of  Peter  is  proved 
of  the  pope  as  his  successor.     So  then  this  caution  of 
Christ  to   Peter  concerning   his  fall,  which  pointed  him 
out  as  an  object  of  special  prayer  is  thus  gravely  brought 
as  a  proof  his  infallibility.     And  what  is  still  more,  all 
this  logic  is  finally  brought  to  bear  upon  the  pope  of 
Rome  to  prove  that  he  cannot  err  !     Concerning  this  ar- 
gument a  late  writer  observes  :    "  They  must  be  doctors 
of  more   than  ordinary  acuteness,  who  can  find  in   the 
words  addressed  to  that  apostle,  in  reference  to  his  fall, 
a  proof  that  he  was  infallible  ;  and  it  must  require  still 
more  acuteness  to   find  in  these  words  a  proof  of  the 
infallibility  of  the  pope,  who,  they  say,  sits   in   Peter's 
chair.' 

Several  links  in  this  chain  of  argument  seem  to  be 
weak  or  wanting.  The  fact  that  Peter  was  made  prince 
of  the  apostles  is  not  so  apparent  as  might  be  wished,  and 
that  he  was  appointed  supreme  head  of  the  church  is  still 
more  questionable,  and  last  of  all  and  least  evident  is  it 
that  he  fixed  his  seat  at  Rome,  and  made  the  popes  his 
successors  in  office  and  prerogative.  But  the  papists 
have  one  proof,  which  to  them  is  incontrovertible,  that 
Peter  was  head  of  the  church,  and  fixed  his  seat  at  Rome  : 
"  They  say  a  principal  design  of  his  coming  to  Rome 
was  to  oppose  Simon  Magus,  who  by  his  juggling  tricks 
had  procured  the  favor  of  both  emperor  and  people.  At 
their  first  interview,  the  magician  engaged  to  ascend  into 
the  air  in  the  presence  of  him  and  the  whole  city.  With 
the  help  of  the  devil  he  accordingly  performed  his  pro- 
mise. But  Peter  invoking  the  name  of  Jesus,  the  devil 
was  so  terrified,  that  he  left  Simon  Magus  to  shift  for 


404  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

himself.  And  the  consequence  was,  that  his  body, 
having  a  much  greater  predilection  for  earth  than  hea- 
ven, made  such  haste  downwards  as  to  break  both  his 
legs.  Were  any  person  to  question  the  truth  of  this 
narration  at  Rome,  the  impression  of  the  apostle's  knees 
in  the  very  stone  upon  which  he  kneeled  on  this  occasion 
would  be  shown  him,  and  another  stone  still  tinged  with 
the  blood  of  the  magician." 

On  such  slender  ground  as  this  is  founded  the  high 
prerogative  of  popish  infallibility.  But  though  in  itself 
this  claim  is  highly  ridiculous  and  absurd,  yet,  in  its 
relations  to  popery  in  all  ages,  it  is  of  great  consequence. 
For  while  papists  make  this  pretence,  popery  can  never 
be  expected  to  change  its  essential  features.  And  by 
making  this  claim,  papists  of  the  present  age  assume  the 
responsibility  of  all  that  popery  has  ever  been  or  done. 
If  popery  has  infallibility  attached  to"  it,  then  it  must 
always  have  been  right,  and  those  who  say  this  shew 
that  the  spirit  of  genuine  popery  is  in  them,  however  its 
outward  exercise  maybe  restrained  or  modified  by  cir- 
cumstances. 

But  it  will  be  asked  probably  by  some.  Have  the  scrip- 
tures said  nothing  about  this  great  and  deadly  defection 
in  the  visible  church  ?  Can  it  be  that  such  an  apostacy 
should  occur,  and  continue  for  such  a  long  time,  even 
more  than  twelve  centuries,  and  no  prophetic  account  of 
it  be  found  in  the  sacred  volume?  This  is  a  very  im- 
portant inquiry,  and  will  be  the  subject  of  a  brief  consi- 
deration in  the  followinof  section. 


SECTION   X. 

PROPHETIC  VIEWS  OF  POPERY    FROM    THE  SCRIPTURES. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  the  scriptures  predict  a  general 
state  of  corruption  in  the   visible  church,  and  a  great 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  405 

apostacy  as  its  consequence.  And  from  what  we  have 
now  before  us  concerning  the  nature,  and  operations,  and 
effects  of  popery,  every  one  will  be  able  to  judge  for 
himself  whether  this  is  indeed  the  great  apostacy  of  the 
last  days. 

In  the  prophetic  dream  of  Nebuchadnezzar  we  have  a 
very  clear  delineation  of  an  apostate,  persecuting  power, 
which  would  arise  in  the  last  days  of  the  Christian 
church.  It  is  agreed  on  all  hands,  that  the  image  which 
the  king  of  Babylon  saw  in  vision  denoted  four  universal 
empires  which  were  to  exist  on  earth.  And  it  is  equally 
a  matter  of  general  agreement,  that  the  Babylonish  em- 
pire is  denoted  by  the  golden  head  of  the  image  ;  the 
Medo-Persian  empire,  by  the  silver  arms  and  breast  ;  the 
Grecian  empire,  by  the  brazen  belly  and  thighs  ;  and  the 
Roman  empire,  by  the  legs,  which  were  of  iron,  and  the 
feet  and  toes,  which  were  of  iron  and  clay.  The  last 
great  empire  here  symbolized  was  to  be  at  first  very 
strong,  like  iron,  and  afterwards  to  become  weak  and 
disunited,  like  iron  and  clay.  Likewise,  near  its  close 
it  was  to  be  divided  into  ten  minor  kingdoms,  like  the  ten 
toes  of  the  image.  So  far  is  A^ery  clear  ;  for  the  history 
of  events  has  affixed  her  seal  to  these  symbols,  in  attesta- 
tion of  their  truth.  But  in  the  seventh  chapter  of  his 
prophecy,  Daniel  was  enabled  to  carry  forward  the  pro- 
phetic history  of  the  fourth,  or  Roman  empire,  and  thus 
to  describe  some  collateral  events. 

"  After  this,  I  saw  in  the  night  visions,  and  behold  a 
fourth  beast,  dreadful,  and  terrible,  and  strong  exceed- 
ingly; and  it  had  great  iron  teeth:  it  devoured  and 
brake  in  pieces,  and  stamped  the  residue  with  the  feet  of 
it :  and  it  was  diverse  from  all  the  beasts  that  were  before 
it ;  and  it  had  ten  horns.  I  considered  the  horns  ;  and, 
behold,  there  came  up  among  them  another  little  horn, 
before  whom  there  were  three  of  the  first  horns  plucked 
up  by  the  roots  :  and,  behold,  in  this  horn  were  eyes  like 
the  eyes  of  a  man,  and  a  mouth  speaking  great  things." 


406  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

The  interpretation  of  this  vision,  in  the  subsequent  part 
of  the  chapter,  thus  describes  the  character  of  this  little 
horn.  "And  the  ten  horns  out  of  this  kingdom  are  ten 
kings  that  shall  arise  :  and  another  shall  rise  after  them  ; 
and  he  shall  be  diverse  from  the  first,  and  he  shall  subdue 
three  kings  ;  and  he  shall  speak  great  words  against  the 
Most  High,  and  shall  wear  out  the  saints  of  the  Most 
High,  and  think  to  change  times  and  laws  :  and  they 
^hail  be  given  into  his  hand,  until  a  time,  and  time's,  and 
the  dividing  of  time." 

In  the  above  prophetic  description  we  find  delineated 
a  power,  which  would  arise  in  the  last  days  of  the  Ro- 
man empire,  and  which  would  exhibit  the  following  dis- 
tinguishing marks  : — 1.  It  would  come  up,  small  in  its 
beginning,  among  the  ten  kingdoms  of  the  Roman  em- 
pire. 2.  It  would  have  eyes  like  the  eyes  of  a  man ;  i.  e. 
it  would  be  remarkable  for  sagacity  and  policy  in  regard 
to  its  own  interests.  3.  It  would  have  a  mouth  speaking 
great  things  against  the  Most  High.  That  is  to  say,  it 
would  be  a  preaching  or  ecclesiastical  power,  and  would 
arrogate  to  itself  divine  prerogatives,  and  blasphemous 
names  and  honors.  It  would,  for  example,  claim  infalli- 
bility, and  set  itself  up  as  God  upon  earth.  (See  the  pre- 
ceding section.)  4.  It  would  make  war  upon  the  saints 
of  the  Lord,  and  wear  them  out  by  cruel  persecutions, 
during  the  continuance  of  its  power.  That  is  to  say,  it 
would  be  a  persecuting  power,  and  would  have  liberty  to 
prevail  against  the  people  of  God  for  the  time  appointed, 
which  would  be  a  period  denoted  by  a  time,  times,  and 
the  dividing  of  time.  Or,  as  interpreters  understand  it, 
three  prophetic  years  and  an  half.  That  is,  as  many 
natural  years  as  there  are  days  in  three  years  and  an 
half,  reckoning  three  hundred  and  sixty  days  to  the  year, 
which  would  make  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  natural 
years.  5.  It  would  pluck  up,  or  subvert  three  of  the 
constituent  kingdoms  of  the  Roman  empire. 

All  that  will  be  necessary  to  give  a  proper  application 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  407 

of  this  symbolical  description  to  the  events  which  have 
been  brought  to  view  in  the  preceding  history,  is  to  con- 
sider the  course  and  connexion  of  facts.  And  here  we 
may  Say,  that  this  prediction  must,  in  the  course  of  events, 
have  progressed  far  towards  its  completion.  Its  con- 
nexion with  the  Roman  empire  shows  that  the  power 
here  denoted  must  long  since  have  arisen  and  fully  have 
developed  itself.  Now,  the  only  question  to  be  solved  is, 
what  power,  among  those  which  have  existed  since  the 
rise  and  decline  of  the  Roman  empire,  answers  most  ex- 
actly to  the  description  here  given  ?  What  pov^er  is  it  that 
came  up  from  small  beginnings,  among  the  tei  kingdoms 
of  divided  Rome  ?  What  power  has  been  remarkable 
for  all  manner  of  craftiness  and  watchfulness,  ii  promoting 
its  own  designs  ?  What  power  has  placed  itself  on  a 
level  with  God,  and  become  a  competitor  for  divine 
honors  ?  What  power  has  made  war  upon  the  saints 
by  most  cruel  and  unrelenting  persecution,  for  more 
than  twelve  centuries  ?  What  power  have  we  seen,  in 
the  course  of  events,  subverting  the  three  kingdoms  of 
the  Heruli,  the  Ostrogoths,  and  the  Lombards  in  Italy, 
and  reigning  in  their  stead?  Can  there  be  any  hesita- 
tion as  to  the  answer  to  these  questions? 

But  we  have  further  light  from  the  scriptures.  In  the 
thirteenth  chapter  of  the  Revelation  of  John,  Ave  have  de- 
scribed a  vision,  in  which  a  beast  was  discovered  rising 
out  of  the  sea,  "  having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  and 
upon  his  horns  ten  crowns,  and  upon  his  heads  the  name 
of  blasphemy."  This  beast  evidently  denotes  the  tempo- 
ral Roman  empire.  Its  seven  heads  are  supposed  to 
mean  the  seven  hills  on  which  the  city  of  Rome  was 
built,  and  the  seven  forms  of  government  which  existed 
in  Rome  in  the  progress  of  its  history.  The  ten  horns 
ynean  the  same  as  they  do  in  the  prophecy  of  Daniel,  the 
ten  kingdoms  into  which  the  empire  Avas  finally  divided. 
After  all  this,  and  in  immediate  sequence,  the  Apostle 
saw  another  beast  coming  up  out  of  the  earth,  and  he 


408  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

had  two  horns,  like  a  lamb,  and  he  spake  as  a  dragon. 
And  he  exerciseth  all  the  power  of  the  first  beast  before 
him,  and  causeth  the  earth  and  all  that  dwell  therein  to 
worship  the  first  beast,  whose  deadly  wound  was  healed. 
And  he  doeth  great  wonders,  so  that  he  maketh  fire  come 
down  from  heaven  on  the  earth  in  the  sight  of  men,  and 
deceiveth  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth  by  means  of  those 
miracles  which  he  had  power  to  do  in  the  sight  of  the 
beast,  saying  to  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth  that  they 
should  make  an  image  to  the  beast  which  had  the  wound 
by  the  sword  and  did  live.  And  he  had  power  to  give 
life  unto  the  image  of  the  beast,  that  the  image  of  the 
beast  should  both  speak,  and  cause  that  as  many  as  would 
not  worship  the  image  of  the  beast,  should  be  killed. 
And  he  causeth  all,  both  small  and  great,  rich  and  poor, 
free  and  bond,  to  receive  a  mark  in  their  right  hand  or 
in  their  foreheads ;  and  that  no  man  might  buy  or  sell, 
save  he  that  had  the  mark,  or  the  name  of  the  beast,  or 
the  number  of  his  name." 

In  this  passage  we  have  a  clear  prediction  of  a  power 
that  would  arise  from  the  earth,  which  means  the  Roman 
empire  in  its  quiescent  or  nominally  Christian  state,  and 
which  would  arise  after  the  ten  horns,  or  after  the  ten 
kingdoms  had  become  extant.  This  power  would  also 
€o-exist  with  the  secular  ten-horned  beast,  so  as  to  perform 
wonders  in  its  presence,  and  to  aid  in  its  ambitious  pro- 
jects. This  latter,  or  ecclesiastical  power,  would  also 
have  two  horns  like  a  lamb.  That  is  to  say,  its  power, 
or  instruments,  would  be  divided  into  two  branches, 
which  would  appear  harmless,  or  would  assume  a  name 
and  professed  employment,  which  would  look  harmless 
as  a  lamb.  This  symbol  denotes  the  two  orders  of  popish 
clergy,  the  regular  and  the  secular,  or  the  monks,  and 
the  parochial  clergy.  These  orders,  in  their  name  and 
profession,  were  harmless  as  a  lamb,  and  yet  they  spake 
and  acted  as  a  dragon.  They  are  wolves  in  sheeps' 
clothing. 


HISTORY  OF  POPERY,  409 

This  last  beast  exerciseth  all  the  power  of  the  first 
beast  before  him,  and  causeth  the  earth  and  they  that 
dwell  therein  to  worship  the  first  beast  whose  deadly 
wound  was  healed.     The  first  beast  was  the  secular  Ro- 
man empire.     The  second,  or  two-horned  beast,  there- 
fore, must  be  some  ecclesiastical  power  rising  up  in  the 
Roman  empire,  in  agreement  with  it,  and  exercising  all 
its  power  for  the  accomplishment  of  its  own  purposes. 
For  example,  if  the  two-horned  power  should  be  a  per- 
secuting power,  as    it  is    afterwards  declared  to  be,  it 
would  use  the  power  of  the  first,  or  ten-horned  beast,  to 
execute  its  vengeance,  delivering  over  its  victims  to  the 
secular  power.     But  not  only  does  the  second  beast  use 
the  power  of  the  first,  but  it  causeth  the  inhabitants  of 
the  earth  to  worship  the  first  beast.     In  other  words, 
there  is  a  league  between  these  two  powers,  existing- 
within  the  bounds  of  the  Roman  empire.     They  help 
each  other.     The  second  beast,  by  its  power  over  the 
consciences  of  men,  causes  them  to  serve  the  first,  and 
thus  is  a  co-adjutor  to  secular  ambition  and  tyranny,  the 
enemy  of  civil  as  well  as  religious  liberty,  the  opposer  of 
all  means  and  measures  to  enlighten  the  human  mind. 
The  dominion  of  these  beasts,  therefore,  would  produce 
an  universal  gloom  and  darkness.     Let  the  reader  look 
to  the  history  of  the  crusades,  and  to  the  history  of  popery 
in  the  reigns  of  Pepin  and  Charlemagne  of  France,  for 
an  explanation  of  the  above  prophecy.     How  did  popery 
cause  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  to  worship  the  secular 
power,  in  the  crusades?     But  the  two-horned  or  second 
beast,  we  are  informed,  doeth  great  wonders,  so  that  he 
maketh  fire  come  down  from  heaven  in  the  sight  of  men. 
According  to  Faber,  heaven,  in  the  symbolical  language 
of  prophecy,  means  the  church,  and  the  earth  means  the 
temporal  or  secular  dominion.     To  cause  fire  to  pass 
from  one  to  the  other,  may  denote  the  sending  forth  from 
the  church  of  bulls  and  edicts,  and  sentences  of  excom- 
munication against  those  who  should  in  any  manner  re- 

35 


410  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

fuse  obedience  to  the  ten-horned  beast.  It  may  represent 
those  threats  of  the  fire  of  divine  wrath  which  would  be 
denounced  against  those  who  should  presume  to  think  for 
themselves.  It  may  denote  those  fires  of  persecution 
which,  though  kindled  by  the  secular  power,  were  al- 
ways sent  forth  from  the  church.  It  appears,  also,  that 
the  second  beast  would  deceive  men  by  claiming  the  ex- 
ercise of  miraculous  gifts.  This  last  mark  of  the  second 
beast  is  a  very  decisive  one,  because  the  pretension  to 
work  miracles,  since  the  days  of  the  apostles,  has  been 
rare.  It  will  not  be  difficult,  therefore,  to  decide,  at  first 
sight,  what  power  in  modern  times  has  set  up  claims  to 
the  possession  of  the  power  of  working  miracles,  and  has 
by  this  means  practised  great  deception  on  men. 

Again,  another  mark  of  the  second  beast  given  in  the 
prophetic  account,  is,  that  he  would  introduce  into  the 
empire  the  worship  of  images,  or  a  new  modification  of 
ancient  idolatry.  The  first  beast  had  been  an  idolatrous 
power  in  its  form  of  pagan  Rome.  In  the  conversion  of 
the  emperor  Constantine  it  received  a  deadly  wound ;  in 
that,  idolatry  was  suppressed.  But  in  process  of  time, 
the  deadly  wound  was  healed,  by  the  empire's  relapsing 
into  idolatry  in  a  different  form.  And  this  latter  idola- 
try would  be  brought  forward  by  the  second  beast.  Now, 
the  question  is,  what  power,  in  connexion  with  the  Ro- 
man empire,  has  been  chiefly  instrumental  in  introducing 
the  worship  of  images  ?  To  this,  there  can  be  but  one 
answer  ;  it  is  popery. 

Once  more,  another,  and  the  last  mark  of  the  two  hor- 
ned beast  in  this  vision,  which  we  shall  bring  to  view,  is, 
that  it  causeth  all,  both  small  and  great,  rich  and  poor, 
free  and  bond,  to  receive  a  mark  in  their  right  hand  or 
in  their  forehead.  By  this  is  denoted  a  power  which 
would  have  some  visible  token  or  emblem  always  con- 
spicuous about  their  persons.  What  this  mark,  or  sign 
was  we  are  not  informed  ;  but  it  is  a  well  known  fact  that 
the  papists  have  a  visible  sign,  or  mark,  which  is  always 


HISTORY    OF    POFERY.  411 

conspicuous.  Every  papist  carries  with  him  in  some 
conspicuous  place  the  sign  of  the  cross,  either  by  a  visible 
cross  suspended  upon  his  person,  or  by  crossing  himself 
before  others  as  a  mark  of  his  religion. 

One  instance  more  we  find  in  the  Revelation  of  John, 
of  the  mention  of  this  apostate  power  :  it  is  in  the  seven- 
teenth chapter.  There  an  ecclesiastical  apostacy  is 
brought  to  view  under  the  symbol  of  the  great  whore, 
who  is  said  to  have  committed  fornication  with  the  kings 
of  the  earth  ;  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  are  said  to 
have  been  made  drunk  with  the  wine  of  her  fornication. 
This  power  John  saw  represented  as  a  woman  silting 
upon  a  scarlet-colored  beast,  full  of  the  names  of  blas- 
phemy, having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns.  The  woman 
was  arrayed  in  all  the  costly  things  of  the  earth,  having 
in  her  hand  a  golden  cup,  to  denote  her  command  of  the 
wealth  of  nations.  The  woman  also  was  drunken  with 
the  blood  of  the  martyrs  of  Jesus.  Can  there  be  any 
question  in  candid  minds  what  power  is  here  represented  ? 
Where  can  we  find  an  antitype,  if  not  in  the  popish 
church  ?  Those  that  question  the  application  of  these 
predictions  to  popery,  are  bound  to  point  out  the  predicted 
apostacy  some  where  else. 


SECTION    XL 

moral  influence  of  popery. 

Having  taken  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  system  of 
popery,  in  its  origin,  its  progress,  its  doctrines,  its  prac- 
tice, and  its  fruits,  it  now  remains  that  some  results  be 
deduced.  These,  however,  must  be  very  brief.  We 
might  here  speak  of  the  influence  of  popery  on  the  intel- 
lectual improvement  of  man,  and  show  that  it  is,  and 
always  has  been,  a  determined  enemy  to  the  diffusion  of 
knowledge  of  all  kinds.     It  admits  of  nothing  but  what 


412  HISTORY  OF  POPERY. 

can  be  made  subservient  to  the  interests  of  popery  :  and 
most  assuredly  neither  literature  nor  science,  in  their  true 
and  genuine  character  have  any  such  subserviency.  The 
schools  and  seminaries  of  which  papists  boast,  and  to 
which  they  invite  the  attention  of  parents,  are  only  nur- 
series of  popery.  There  children  are  environed  with  an 
influence  and  a  supervision  which  can  hardly  fail  to 
secure  them  while  they  live.  The  children  of  protestant 
parents  are  there  literally  imprisoned,  under  the  plausi- 
ble pretext  of  education  ;  they  are  persuaded  or  compel- 
led to  become  papists,  and  they  may  communicate  nothing 
to  parents  but  what  passes  the  inspection  of  their  masters. 
Indeed,  when  we  find  Gallileo  arraigned  and  condemned 
by  the  inquisition  for  scientific  discoveries,  who  can  have 
any  hope  of  a  propitious  influence  from  that  quarter. 
But  this  is  not  the  point  on  which  I  would  now  insist. 
There  are  interests  more  important  than  those  of  science. 
And  the  question  is,  what  influence  does  popery  exert 
over  the  morals  of  men  ?  To  answer  this  question  cor- 
rectly, look  first  at  her  principles.  Hear  her  teach,  that 
all  kinds  of  deception,  fraud,  and  lying  are  justifiable, 
when  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  the  church  re- 
quire them  ;  that  no  faith  is  to  be  kept  with  heretics,  or 
those  who  differ  from  her  ;  hear  her  teach  that  the  pope 
can  change  the  essential  nature  of  moral  good  and  evil ; 
that  he  can  make,  by  his  fiat,  sin  to  be  holiness  and  holi- 
ness to  be  sin,  and  that  he  can  dispense  with  all  laws 
human  and  divine,  and  pardon  all  transgressions,  and 
that  what  he  does  is  infallibly  correct.  Taking  this  view 
of  popery  as  to  its  moral,  or  rather  its  immoral  principles 
and  maxims,  and  who  could  expect  any  consequent  influ- 
ence but  that  of  the  most  deadly  character?  Men  will 
not  rise  higher  in  their  practice  than  their  standards,  and 
they  generally  fall  greatly  below  them.  If  then  such  are 
the  standard  principles  of  popery,  what  must  be  her  prac- 
tice, what  her  moral  state,  and  her  moral  influence  ? 
Concerning  this  point  w^e  have  only  to  revert  to  facts 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  413 

which  have  been  detailed,  to  obtain  a  complete  answer. 
From  Rome,  the  seat  of  life  to  popery,  with  her  hundreds 
of  licensed  brothels,  of  the  profit  of  which  the  pope  par- 
ticipates, with  her  gambling-,  drunken  cardinals,  and  her 
carnival  soirees,  we  may  go  down  through  all  the  chan- 
nels of  her  influence,  and  what  do  Ave  find  but  a  mass  of 
moral  corruption  and  putrefaction.  Outwardly,  she  is 
fair  and  splendid,  like  the  woman  on  the  scarlet  colored 
beast,  she  is  gorgeously  arrayed,  she  has  a  golden  cup, 
and  garments  decked  with  jewels,  and  attracts  the  wonder 
and  admiration  of  a  credulous  multitude.  But  enter  her 
courts,  go  to  the  secret  place  of  her  sorceries,  and  you 
discover  her  real  name  and  character ;  it  is,  Mystery 
Babylon  the  great,  the  mother  of  harlots,  aipd  abomina- 
tions of  the  earth. 

She  has  been  zealous  to  spread  her  influence,  and  en- 
large her  dominion  ;  and  because  her  proposals  are  suited 
to  the  natural  feelings  of  men,  who  love  darkness  rather 
than  light  in  respect  to  religion,  she  has  been  vastly  suc- 
cessful.    But  what  has  been  the  consequence  ?     Who 
has  not  been  made  worse  by  her  coming  ?     Go  to  Asia 
Minor,  go  to  the  peninsula  of  hither  India,  go  to  South 
America,  go  to  Canada,  for  an  answer.     Even  paganism 
blushes  at  the  corruptions  of  popery.     Plato,   Seneca, 
Confucius,  and  Socrates,  would  be  degraded  by  a  com- 
parison with  the  morality  of  the  pope,  with  all  his  holi- 
ness.    Protestant  countries  and  cities  are  wicked  enough 
in  spite  of  the  influence  Avhich  their  religion  exerts  to 
check  them  ;  but  they  are  paradise,  to  countries  and  cities 
which  lie  under  the  influence  of  popery,  which  gives 
vigor  and  license  to  all  the  corrupt  propensities  of  human 
nature.     Indeed,  popery  has  nothing  vitally  moral  about 
it.     It  is  a  carcass  of  pretences,  forms,  show,  epithets, 
and  every  holy  thing  that  can  be  put  in  language  or  re- 
presented by  grimace  ;  but  inwardly,  it  is  all  rottenness  ; 
and  practically,  it  is  the  very  smoke  of  the  bottomless 
pit.     Does  any  one  ask,  is  not  this  a  railing  accusation  X 


414  HISTORY    OF    POPERY. 

I  answer,  no — it  is  the  fair  deduction  from  premises  fur- 
nished by  the  whole  course  of  authentic  history  for  many 
ages.  Papists  may  flutter  and  equivocate,  but  they  are 
challenged  to  disprove  the  facts  from  which  these  conse- 
quences unavoidably  flow. 

Such  being  the  moral  influence  of  popery,  it  is  almost 
needless  to  say  that  its  civil  influence  is  most  pernicious. 
For  all  experience  testifies  that  correct  morals  are  the 
essential  basis  of  good  society  and  civil  liberty.  Not 
only  will  immoral  persons  be  enemies  to  all  wholesome 
laws  and  restraint,  but  their  example  will  be  spreading 
the  pestilence  around  them,  till  the  whole  community  be- 
comes corrupt.  Popery  then,  being  a  system  of  immo- 
rality, must  be  essentially  inimical  to  all  civil  liberty 
and  free  institutions.  They  cannot  be  papists,  who  advo- 
cate, or  even  tolerate  republican  principles  in  sincerity, 
any  more  than  a  man  can  serve  two  masters.  All  pa- 
pists, from  the  nature  of  the  case,  must  consider  their  al- 
legiance to  the  pope  as  paramount  to  every  other,  they 
are  then  really  the  subjects  of  a  foreign  power,  and  the 
vassals  of  despotism,  and  all  oaths  of  allegiance  con- 
trary to  this  are  among  their  dispensable  lies  and 
frauds,  and  will  be  so  found  in  the  hour  of  trial.  They 
will  always  side  with  any  faction  that  is  most  favorable  to 
their  master  the  pope.  This  is  the  testimony  of  obser- 
vation. So  it  has  been  in  Spain,  so  it  is  in  Portugal,  so 
it  has  been  and  is  in  the  states  of  South  America.  The 
fruits  in  that  fair  field  of  liberty  have  been  blighted  and 
withered  by  the  influence  of  popery.  And  though  they 
talk  of  liberty,  they  know  it  not.  In  a  word,  show  me  a 
country,  or  a  state  on  which  the  sun  ever  shines,  where 
popery  is  in  the  ascendant,  or  where  it  is  predominant, 
that  enjoys  any  thing  like  civil  liberty,  or  has  any  ration- 
al prospect  of  such  enjoyment.  Produce  a  solitary  ex- 
ample of  desirable  civil  society,  that  is,  desirable  for  its 
equal  rights,  its  free  institutions,  its  enlightened  popula- 
tion, under  the  baleful  influence  of  popery.  Show  me  a 
free  press,  or  a  trial  by  jury,  in  all  the  domains  of  popery. 


HISTORY    OF    POPERY.  415 

No,  as  soon  might  you  hope  to  find  healthful  and  vigor- 
ous vegitation  under  the  deadly  shade  of  the  bohon 
UPAS.     Popery  and  civil  liberty  cannot  co-exist. 


CONCLUSION. 

Thus  has  an  attempt  been  made  to  present  an  authentic 
and  candid  statement  of  the  facts  respecting  popery.  The 
votaries  of  this  corrupt  system  will  doubtless  cry  out,  that 
this  is  all  a  libel,  all  false  and  malicious.  But  as  they  hold  it 
right  to  lie  for 'the  glory  of  God  and  the  interests  of  popery, 
and  as  the  denial  of  a  statement  of  facts  in  regard  to  their 
system,  will  doubtless  be  deemed  by  them  essential  to  the  in- 
terests of  popery,  it  is  to  be  expected  that  they  will  deny 
whatever  can  be  stated,  however  true.  But  who  will  believe 
those  who  license  pious  frauds,  and  say  one  thing  when  they 
mean  another.  The  statement  is  true  and  can  be  substan- 
tiated, lei  papists  deny  as  much  as  they  will.  They  deny 
that  they  worship  a  bread  god  when  they  worship  the  bread 
in  ihe  eucharist.  And  the  evasion  by  which  they  make  good 
this  denial,  is,  that  when  the  bread  is  changed  into  the  body 
of  Christ,  as  they  suppose  it  is  when  they  worship  it,  it  is  no 
longer  bread,  and  therefore  not  a  bread  god.  Still  their  eyes 
tell  them  it  is  still  bread,  and  therefore  must  be  bread  and  god 
too,  and  a  bread  god.  But  with  their  system  of  prevarication 
and  deception,  they  can  deny  or  affirm  any  thing  they  please. 
But  in  this  age  and  country  of  light,  who  will  be  dupe 
enough  to  believe  all  that  papists  tell  him,  even  against  the 
testimony  of  his  own  senses? 

It  remains,  then,  for  the  inhabitants  of  this  land  of  free- 
dom, to  say  whether  they  will  yield  themselves  to  the  cold 
and  withering  embrace  of  this  system  of  moral  corruption. 
Shall  popery  be  welcome  to  our  shores  ?  Shall  it  rear  its 
serpentine  crest  over  our  goodly  heritage  ?  Shall  our  chil- 
dren be  sent  to  its  halls  for  instruction,  our  daughters  be  com- 
mitted to  its  sisterhood  of  impurity  ?  Shall  our  charities  be 
poured  out  to  nourish  this  scorpion  in  our  houses,  which  will, 
as  soon  as  opportunity  presents,  requite  our  kindness  by  the 
thrust  of  his  fatal  sting  ?  Shall  the  dungeons  of  the  inqui- 
sition ever  darken  these  vallies  and  plains  ?    Shall  the  fires 


416  HISTORY  OF  POPERY. 

of  martyrdom  ever  gleam  in  our  horizon  1  Shall  the  souls 
of  them  who  are  slain  for  the  word  of  God,  and  the  testimony  of 
Jesus,  ever  cry  from  under  thie  altar,  against  this  blessed  land, 
saying,  "  How  long,  O  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not  judge 
and  avenge  our  blood  on  them  that  dwell  in  these  United 
States?  '  O,  my  soul,  come  not  thou  into  their  secret,  unto 
their  assembly  mine  honor  be  not  thou  united.  Instruments 
of  cruelty  are  in  their  habitations.' " 

Will  it  be  said,  all  this  is  idle  fear  ?     It  may  be,  but  if  it 
prove  so,  one  thing  is  certain.     It  will  not  be  so  through  any 
lack  of  exertion  on  the  part  of  papists  to  support  and  propa- 
gate their  faith  in  this  land.     We  already  see  and  feel  the 
fruits  of  such  exertion.     A  society  was  formed  at  Vienna  in 
182,9,  called  the   Leopold  Foundation,  for  the   purpose   of 
raising  funds  to  propagate  popery  in  this  country,  by  support- 
ing missionaries,  founding  cloisters,  monasteries,  seminaries, 
&c.     This  society  raised  in  about  a  year,  nearly  fifty  thou- 
sand florins,  between  thirty  and  forty  thousand  of  which  have 
been  remitted  to  the  diocess  of  Ohio.     The  popish  chapel  at 
Hartford,  Conn,  is  said  to  have  been  paid  for  by  the  Austrian 
consul.     If,  then,  popery  does  not  gain/  the  ascendancy  in 
this  country,  it  will  not  be  for  want  of  effort  on  her  part. 
What,  then,  shall  be  done  ?     Here  the  answer  returns,  which 
was  suggested  in  the  introduction.     We  must  not  persecute — 
we  must  not  assume  carnal  weapons — we  must  act  in  entire 
consistency  with  the  gospel  we  profess — but  we  must  be  on 
the  alert — we  must  pour  light  upon  this  kingdom  of  dark- 
ness— we  must  inform  our  population  of  the  wiles  of  this 
enemy  of  man — we  must  endeavor  to  protect  our  own  fami- 
lies and  friends  from  the  contagion — we  must  leave  no  corner 
of  the  land  where  popery  can  hide.     And  while  we  make 
ihese  efforts  according  to  manifest  duty,  we  must  look  uni- 
tedly and  importunately  to  Him  who  will  yet  be  inquired  of 
by  the  house  of  Israel,  and  who  has  never  said,  seek  ye  me 
in  vain  ;  that  He  will  be  pleased  to  pour  out  his  spirit  of  light 
and  truth ;  that  he  Avill  shorten  the  reign  of  error  and  delu- 
sion, and  that  he  will  hasten  the  day  of  glory,  when  Zion 
shall  arise  and  shine,  her  light  being  come  and  the  glory  of 
the  Lord  being  risen  upon  her,  and  when  Satan  shall  be  bound 
that  he  go  out  to  deceive  the  nations  no  more  for  a  thousand 
years.     "  Even  so,  come  Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly."    Amen. 


DATE  DUE 


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A  history  of  popery,  including  its  p 

Princeton  Theological  Setnlnary-Speer  Library  [• 


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